Family Drama
by kitten2010
Summary: Darcy Stilinski has no where else to go, but she's bringing more trouble with her than she knows.
1. Trouble

**This story is set sometime before they know who the Alpha is. It contains an original character, and out of character moments for some characters though I'll try to stay true to their personalities.**

**Be a good egg and review.**

Darcy Stilinski turned the radio down, as if that would help her see the road signs better. She squinted through her glasses, but it did no good. She probably had the worst night vision in history. She turned into the closest gas station she could find and twisted around in her seat, trying to relieve her aching back before she stepped out of the car. She stood and stretched. The last twenty miles of her 1,900 mile trek were proving to be the hardest. Probably because the backseat of a laughably small hatchback Chevy Aveo wasn't the best bed, especially in her condition.

She walked inside the gas station and went to the women's room and studied herself in the mirror. She pulled her hair into two pigtail braids, hoping that would distract from the grunginess of a skipped wash. She took her glasses off and hooked them in the collar of her shirt as she quickly washed her face. Returning her glasses to their proper place and smeared on some lip balm before she examined herself again.

"Not bad," she muttered to herself. She tugged at her shirt and the faces two members of The Beatles were further contorted by her pregnant belly. She felt huge for twenty weeks and knew that it would only get worse. She pulled at the waistband of her jeans, which had been jury rigged with a hair tie to make them fit but were still tight enough to leave little red grooves in her skin.

She quickly decided that she'd had enough of that and stepped out to look at the food selection. The suspicious looking hot dogs made her stomach turn and she retreated to a cooler filled with sandwiches in little triangular wedge containers. They were a bit more expensive than she'd expected, but she'd always believed that one could not put a price on tuna salad.

She loaded her arms with candy bars and put a bottle of water under her chin. She dropped her loot on the checkout counter and paid with a handful of bills and change from the bottom of her purse.

Once she had settled in her car and devoured her sandwich she decided that she could no longer avoid calling the California branch of the Stilinski clan. She decided that her cousin was a much less intimidating option than her uncle and dialed his number quickly.

"Hello?" Stiles said.

"I'm coming to visit. Is your dad home?"

"No. When are you coming?"

"I'll be there in about half an hour," she said.

"What? Darcy, it's the middle of the night. You shouldn't be…how did you even…what the hell is going on?"

"I'm in a bit of…trouble," she said.

"Little miss perfect, future doctor, pride of the family is in trouble?"

"Jealous much?" Darcy teased. "Be a good cousin and say I can come over."

"Of course you can."

Darcy heard a male voice in the background. There was a muffled conversation on the other end of the line. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked. "Stiles, are you with a boy?" She could practically hear him blush.

"Shut up, Darcy. For the last time I asked your hairdresser if he thought I was attractive, I never said I thought he was. I am not attracted to men." Stiles realized that he'd been very close to shouting and lowered his voice to say, "Quit being annoying and get your butt over here already."

"Wow, Stiles, I feel the love," she said.

"Just hurry, Darcy. There's…there's some sort of animal that's been attacking people lately."

"I'm on my way," she replied, starting her little car's engine to prove her point.

"Be careful," he said.

"I will…I will," she said as she hung up. Whatever animal was running around must have been pretty serious to have Stiles acting so concerned.

She arrived exactly half an hour later. Stiles was waiting for her in the drive way. She grabbed her purse and shielded her stomach with it, not quite ready yet to explain herself.

"What the hell, Darcy?" Stiles greeted her, giving her a quick hug from the side as he passed on his way to start unloading her belongings.

"I thought you had a friend over," she said, not wanting to elaborate yet on why she was there.

"He had to leave. Am I gonna get an explanation?"

"Eventually," Darcy said, reaching in her car for something light to carry inside.

"Not that I'm trying to rush you, but how soon can I expect eventually to be."

"Not right now, Stiles."

"Just checking." Stiles awkwardly swung the front door open and carried Darcy's suitcases to the guest bedroom. Darcy set down the drawstring backpack of her toiletries, but kept her purse clutched in front of her.

"Well?" he said.

"Not ready to say yet."

"Fine."

They stood in silence for a moment. "So…do you still play lacrosse?"

"Yeah, I'm still as bad as always."

"Maybe I could come to one of your games." She shifted uncomfortably.

Stiles cocked an eyebrow. "How long do you plan on staying here?"

"A while," she replied.

"Darcy…" Stiles said her name slowly. "Put down your purse for a minute."

Darcy felt like there was ice in her throat.

"Turn to the side," Stiles instructed.

She did.

"Please tell me you're smuggling a melon…"

Darcy sat on the bed. "I'm pregnant," she said, her voice hoarse.

"How did that happen? Well, I mean I know how it happened and…ew…but I mean…well, explain yourself."

Darcy took a deep breath. "There was a harvest moon and it's a hometown tradition for all the teenagers to go party around a bonfire for that. I just decided to go because…I don't know, I thought it would be fun or maybe I was just having a bad day. I was about to leave, when this guy shows up…and it just all sort of happened from there."

"So…" Stiles said, adding a low whistle. "After that?"

"I went home. I didn't even think about it again until I started getting sick and then I skipped my…"

"Ew," Stiles added.

She smiled at her cousin before she continued. "Anyway, so I did the at home test to confirm it, but I already knew. I went to a free clinic and they confirmed it again with a blood test… They did an ultrasound for me and I was about six weeks along then. I never went back because they told me I had to have a parent with me. I was able to hide it for a long time, but eventually…I just outgrew everything…"

"Yeah, I can imagine Aunt Claire didn't take it too well."

"She kindly gave me ten minutes to pack up and get out and informed me that I was no longer welcome."

"Wow, Darcy…you are in trouble aren't you?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I figured that coming here would be my best shot."

"Did you try to find the guy?"

"I did, but there wasn't much for me to go on. I wasn't drunk at all but for some reason a lot of that night is just fuzzy to me and no one else that was there claims to have seen him." She yawned.

"Get some rest, Darcy. It's like four in the morning in Texas."

"Thank you, Stiles," she said.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Stiles went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and was startled, as always, by Derek's sudden appearance.

"You know, home invasion is rude," Stiles snapped.

"Who is that girl?" Derek demanded.

"That's my cousin."

"Where is she from? Why is she here?"

"She's…wait a minute. Why are you grilling me about my cousin?"

"Answer me."

Stiles mustered up all his courage. "No, Derek. You answer me first."

"She smells…different."


	2. Something Different

Stiles scratched his head and drummed his fingers on the counter he was leaning on. "What does that even mean?" he asked.

"Her scent is…strange."

"Derek, I need more details here."

"Call Scott. I need him to confirm this."

Stiles decided not to argue for once and dialed his best friend's number.

"Stiles, what's going on?" Scott asked, panic in his voice.

"Nothing…well, I don't know. Derek is being vague but I think he wants you to come sniff my cousin."

"Darcy?"

"Yeah, kinda my only cousin so good detective work, Scott. Anyway, come smell her before Derek crushes my face. And hurry, because he looks like he really wants to."

"On my way," Scott said.

Stiles returned to drumming his fingers on the countertop before he threw his hands in the air. "Are you going to explain this to me?"

Derek stared at him for a moment. "No."

"Great, that's just great."

Stiles heard the front door open. "Scott, we're in here," he said.

Derek shoved past Stiles and started talking to Scott. "There's something different about this girl. I need your opinion."

The two werewolves stood outside the guest bedroom door. Stiles hovered behind them, waiting for one of them to give some sort of hint as to what was going on.

"She smells good," Scott said.

"That's just her fertility. Your wolf instinct will make her ability to bear young attractive because in nature that's very important. Try to ignore that."

"Can we not talk about my cousin bearing young?" Stiles said, slapping his hand over his eyes as if that would stop the mental image. "Scott, what is it Derek is freaked out about?"

"She smells a little…off," Scott said, pressing closer to the door. "I can't really tell why though."

They all held their breath as they heard movement coming from inside the room. Without speaking, they all tried to move away at the same time. Scott crashed into Stiles and they landed in a heap on the floor. Derek narrowly avoided stepping on them, only to be tripped by Stiles' flailing legs.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy was startled when she saw the heap of young men outside her door. "What the hell?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes behind her glasses. She watched incredulously as the three of them untangled.

Stiles leapt to his feet in the clumsiest show of grace that Darcy had ever seen. "Hey there. Hope we didn't wake you," he said with a slight chuckle.

"Not at all," Darcy said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Scott McCall, is that you?"

"Hi, Darcy," Scott said sheepishly.

"Well, good to know you two idiots are still friends. And who is this?" she said, glancing at the dark haired, blue eyed stranger that was staring at her intensely

"Derek," he said shortly, continuing to stare at her oddly.

"Nice to meet you," she replied. "Is there a particular reason the three of you were creeping while I was trying to sleep?"

"No, no particular reason. Seemed like a nice night for creeping," Stiles remarked.

"Oh, well, of course," Darcy said, repressing a giggle. "Could you please remind me where the bathroom is?"

"Down the hall," Stiles said, pointing the way.

"Thanks. Are you and your friends going to follow?"

"We'll pass," Stiles said.

Darcy walked past Derek, bumping his shoulder on accident as she did. "Sorry," she muttered. He didn't react, but continued to stare.

Darcy went to do her business and she could hear the guys whispering furiously, followed by the sound of a hand slapping the back of a head and a plaintive cry of, "Ow!" She just rolled her eyes and smiled. She was genuinely glad that Stiles was still friends with Scott and while she wasn't too sure about Derek, she was happy that Stiles had people to be there for him.

She considered asking to shower, but a wave of tiredness overcame her and instead she went back into the hallway that had been vacated. She shuffled to the guest bedroom and started to undo the hair band rig on her jeans. The ponytail holder snapped as she removed it and she watched it fly across the room. "Am I growing by the minute?" she hissed, sucking on the knuckle that the elastic had snapped. She shimmied out of the jeans and searched for a pair of athletic shorts to sleep in.

Darcy fell asleep pondering about her newly rediscovered, intense appreciation of mattresses. She supposed a night sleeping in a cramped car would do that for a person.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"There's definitely something different about her smell," Scott whispered.

"I need to study it a bit more before I could say for sure what it is," Derek replied. "We'll have to wait for her to go to sleep."

"Yeah, because standing outside her room worked so well," Stiles remarked.

Derek wasn't in the mood for his quips and gave him a good slap to the back of the head.

"Ow!" Stiles said, his face the epitome of indignation. "Well, I was _going_ to ask if examining her car might help out."

"Get the keys," Derek ordered, refusing to apologize.

Stiles slipped into the guest bedroom and grabbed Darcy's keys. The three of them stepped outside and circled around her car. Derek unlocked the driver's side door and sat in the seat, ignoring Stiles' laughter at Derek's discomfort in the tiny vehicle. Her smell was strong in the car and Derek closed his eyes, ignoring all other sensory stimulation.

"Derek!" Scott nearly shouted. "Look at this."

Derek managed to get himself out of the cramped driver's seat to look where Scott was pointing. There was the lightest groove where a clawed hand had scratched away the paint on the roof of her car. The three young men stared at it.

"Could Darcy be a werewolf?" Scott asked.

"No," Derek said decisively. "She smells too human. It's almost like…the faintest hint of werewolf essence is on her."

"So what, like a wolf man sneezed on her? Or…wait…" Stiles' eyes grew wide. "What if the father of her baby is a werewolf?"

"Babies," Derek corrected. He continued to stare at the scratches in the paint. "Stiles, you may be right."


	3. Dreams

**A/N I haven't decided yet if Derek and Darcy are going to get together. I know at least one person has asked for it. Leave your opinion in the reviews, please.**

Darcy woke up earlier than she intended to, but the time difference was still messing with her. She snuck into Stiles' room to borrow some clothes. He was sprawled out over the bed, dead to the world, so she didn't bother to ask for permission. She grabbed a pair of his basketball shorts and a T-shirt, swearing that if either of them didn't fit she was going to cry.

She felt a lot better after her shower, and was nearly ecstatic when her cousin's clothes fit her for the time being. She was desperately in need of some bigger clothes, but she had no way to get them. She thoroughly hated being broke.

She poked around the kitchen and gathered up the ingredients for an impressive breakfast. Darcy figured that a nice meal might make her uncle more amenable to her staying indefinitely. She focused on pancake batter instead of her crappy situation, then moved to wash some potatoes and dice them.

Darcy heard the sheriff come through the door and set his things down. "Darcy? I thought that was your car. What are you doing here?" her uncle asked.

Darcy closed her eyes and counted to three as she drew in a deep breath and turned.

The sheriff's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. After a stretch of silence he regained his composure. "Darcy…"

Darcy felt her bottom lip trembling and bit down on it hard. "I made some bad choices and I really don't have anywhere else to go…" She felt her composure slip but didn't let the crying last long. She followed her usual rule. Five tears, and that's it.

"Do your parents know?" he asked.

"They know that I'm pregnant but they kicked me out a few days ago so they don't know where I am."

The sheriff hugged his niece and patted her shoulder. "I'll call them and try to talk some sense into them. Darcy, I know you're a good kid and this doesn't change that."

Darcy was relieved that her uncle felt that way. She'd really needed to hear it. She returned to her cooking, pouring the pancake batter on the griddle and then whisking a few eggs together. There was always a lot of pressure on her from the moment she'd been labeled gifted in elementary school. Anything less than an A-plus was unacceptable in her parents' eyes. Once she'd hit high school, she'd never fallen from the first in her class. She was predicted to be the first person from her hometown to break into the Ivy League. She was trying to decide between being a doctor or a lawyer. She could only imagine how the rumors were flying now. In a way, she hoped that she would be able to stay in Beacon Hills. It would be nice to be anonymous.

The sheriff returned with a mixture of anger, hurt, and bewilderment in his eyes. "My brother refuses to stand up to your stepmother. Darcy, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you need to. I don't know how much help Stiles and I will be, but you need family."

"I really appreciate this…" Darcy really wasn't sure how she was going to show how grateful she was, but she knew that she would someday.

Stiles stumbled sleepily into the room, perking up at the sight and smell of breakfast in the process of being made. "You said we can keep her, right, Dad?" Stiles joked.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy shivered as the cold gel hit her stomach. She swatted at Stiles' hand to keep him from trying to touch it. He wasn't the best company for a pre-natal visit, but since her uncle had work to do he was her only option.

The ultrasound tech smiled at her and asked, "Is he the father?"

"No!" they both said loudly.

"He's my cousin," Darcy explained.

The young red head blushed. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Darcy replied as the wand like thing pressed into her stomach. She stared at the monitor, listening to the thundering of the heartbeat. Suddenly she felt her own heart miss a beat. "My baby has two heads!"

The tech adjusted the position of the wand and chuckled. "No, Ms. Stilinski, you have twins."

"Twins?" Darcy whispered. For the first time in her life, she really thought she was going to faint. She reached out and grabbed Stiles' arm for moral support.

"Yes. See, here's both their heads. Here you can see one of baby A's hands, and there's two pairs of little feet. They both appear to be healthy and I'd place you at about twenty one weeks. I think I could tell you the gender, would you like to know?"

"Sure," Darcy squeaked.

"It looks like Baby A is a…girl. And Baby B is a…boy. Congratulations!"

Twins. One boy. One girl. Darcy watched them. Her daughter appeared to be practicing kickboxing while her son was sucking his thumb and occasionally wiggling. Two tiny little lives there on the screen. She didn't feel like fainting anymore. She felt overwhelming happiness.

She turned to Stiles as they waited for the prints of the ultrasound. "Twins, huh?" she said.

"Overachiever," he teased as he gave her a quick hug. "You know, Stiles Junior is an excellent name for a boy."

"I don't even want to think about names yet. My brain is nearly fried as it is."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy fell asleep that night with the ultrasound pictures still in her hands and thoughts of pink and blue swirling through her head.

_Darcy wore a white sundress and lounged in the lush green grass. She watched as two children played. The girl, dressed in a white dress like hers, chased around the boy, who wore all white as well. The girl had dark hair that was in pigtails and intelligent hazel eyes with a fringe of dark lashes. The boy's hair was just as dark as his sister's, mismatched blue and brown eyes lit up with joy behind his glasses. They were hers._

"_Come here," she called to them, holding her arms out wide. "Come to Mommy."_

_The children, who appeared to be about five years old, skipped towards her happily._

_She smiled and said, "Mommy loves you both very much."_

_The children were a few feet away from her when they transformed. Their eyes flashed green. Claws grew from their little hands. Small but sinister fangs replaced the loving smiles._

_They attacked her, staining all the white clothing with red and making the grass around her sticky and black._

"_Stop this. Don't hurt Mommy," she cried out._

_They continued to attack. She didn't fight back. She couldn't. She wouldn't. They were hers._

Darcy's eyes shot open and she realized it had been the sounds of her own screams that woke her. She fumbled for her glasses and put them on just in time for the door to bust open. Her uncle and her cousin stood at the doorway in their pajamas, looking tired and terrified.

"What's going on?" the sheriff asked, a sleek black .38 in his hand as he looked around the room wildly.

"It was just a bad dream. I'm so sorry," Darcy said.

"Are you alright?" her uncle said as he relaxed his grip.

"I'm going to be fine. I'm so sorry to wake you."

"It's alright, Darcy. Get some more rest." Her uncle returned to his bedroom.

"Darcy, are you sure you're OK?" Stiles asked as he lingered in the doorway.

"I'm fine. Go on. It was just a dream. I read that it's normal to have crazy dreams when you're pregnant. I'm sure the stress just got to me."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. It was just a dream. I know it's not real."


	4. Scent

Darcy didn't get much more sleep that night. Her logical side was able to rationalize the dream easily. Obviously, she was scared about having twins: how would she finish high school, would she be able to work, would they be healthy, and exactly how big was she going to get. So her mind turned her anxiety about them into that dream. It really wasn't anything to be ashamed of. Being scared didn't make her a bad mother.

She got about two hours of sleep before her body wouldn't let her rest anymore since it was still on Texas time. Stiles had to go to school and her uncle had to work once again, leaving her to entertain herself. She was in the strange mood to clean and by the time Stiles came home with Scott in tow, the house was nearly unrecognizable. Neither of them noticed the clean house because of the plate of sugar cookies on the table.

"Are you coming to the lacrosse game?" Scott asked politely. Stiles still couldn't be bothered with politeness because there were cookies remaining.

"I'll be there if I'm not too tired. I've actually never seen a game of lacrosse."

"I think you'll like it," Scott replied. "We should go get ready, actually. Right, Stiles?" Stiles was still lost in his baked goods daze, so Scott gave him a quick shove. "Don't we have to go get our things ready for the game?"

"Oh, yeah," Stiles said, stuffing another cookie into his mouth and wrapping the rest in a napkin. "Thanks, Darcy. We'll see you tonight."

"Bye, guys," Darcy said, laughing as they got into a shoving match on the way out.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"What is it, Derek?" Scott said. "Why did you call for me?"

"Why did you two idiots encourage her to be out tonight?" Derek snapped, in his frustration knocking the food out of Stiles' hand.

Stiles stared at the ground, mournfully. "Uncalled for!"

Derek gave Stiles a distasteful look and stepped down on the cookies before explaining. "There are some that believe a beta can become an Alpha if he becomes the leader of a pack. I've been asking around and some of my connections in the southern United States informed me that there's a beta wolf in Texas has gone rogue from his family and is trying to create a pack of his own children. I've never heard of a beta becoming an Alpha through this method, but she's in danger simply because of the possibility. The few Alphas in the world are fierce competitors. Do you really think the Alpha here is going to let that beta keep growing his pack? She could be attacked and it'll be harder to protect her if she doesn't stay in the same location at all times of the night."

Stiles' eyes were wide with fear. "You really think she's in danger?"

Derek nodded.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy wasn't expecting Stiles to show up an hour before the lacrosse game. He was already in his uniform.

"Stiles? Shouldn't you be there already?"

"Yeah. Stay home tonight, Darcy. You look tired."

Darcy cocked an eyebrow at her cousin. "I feel fine, Stiles. I said that I'd be there and I want to be."

"Wouldn't you rather go to sleep early?"

"I need to get used to this time zone. Stiles, do you just not want me to come?" She didn't understand her cousin's sudden urge to have her stay home.

Stiles sighed. "No, I want you to be there. I just wanted to make sure you'd be alright. Ride with me?"

"I need to shower and you need to get over to the school as soon as possible so you don't get in any trouble. Just let me drive myself."

Stiles turned and went back to his Jeep. Darcy shook her head and went to get ready.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Stiles jumped in surprise and hit his head on the window when he saw Derek sitting in his passenger seat. He hadn't even noticed him there.

"You failed," Derek said.

"Yeah, I know. Look, I couldn't be rude to her. Scott should be done spreading around the clothes we stole from her. That's just going to have to be enough for now."

"It's not enough," Derek replied.

"Why does she need to stay there to be safe? I mean, doesn't it stand to reason that she would be in more trouble if she just sat in the same place? She'd be a sitting duck."

"If she stays in the same general area, her smell will start to blend in. The only place that her scent has blended in is your house. If you would have been able to convince her to stay there, she would have been protected by the fact that her scent has already blended and is therefore unremarkable. Since you couldn't do that, our best plan of action for tonight is to get her scent everywhere so he won't be able to track her back to your house. After that we really need to focus on keeping her scent contained."

"We can't just put her under house arrest, Derek. She has to go to the doctor."

"Scents are dulled in medical facilities because of the constant sanitation of the air. It's the travel that's dangerous."

"Is there anyway to hide her scent from him?" Stiles asked.

Derek thought for a moment. "There's no way to hide it. An article of clothing with her scent placed at a different location might throw him off her trail, especially if she's wearing someone else's clothing and riding in someone else's vehicle every time she leaves your house."

"Derek, maybe we should tell her what's going on."

"She doesn't need that much stress right now," Derek said. "I heard her screaming last night after she had that nightmare."

"Derek, you like her don't you?" he said slowly.

"No, I simply thought that she may have been in trouble and it is in my best interest to keep her safe."

Stiles could have sworn that Derek was almost blushing, but it was hard to tell in the fading light of the evening. "You like her!" he accused. "She's my cousin, Derek. That's gross! We'd be practically related."

"That's not it, you moron. If anything happens to her it would hurt you, which would in turn hurt Scott and I need Scott's help to defeat the Alpha."

"Oh, so you like Scott then?" Stiles said, laughing at Derek's sour facial expression.

Derek knocked Stiles' head against the window. "Stop acting like a child."

"Alright, Derek, but can you just say the words, 'I do not have a crush on Darcy Stilinski.' Because I really, really don't want you to date my cousin."

"This is asinine," Derek snapped.

"Derek, swear to me that you don't like her that way."

"You'd better get to your stupid game," Derek said, opening the door to the Jeep and slamming it shut.

"Derek! Be nice to my Jeep, dammit!"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The game appeared to be nearly over, but Darcy was losing energy fast and she knew she wasn't going to make it to the end. She got up and went to her car while she still had the energy.

Darcy's night vision continued to suck and her fatigue made missing turns inevitable. Within fifteen minutes, she was completely lost. She cursed a few times, wondering how she was going to find her way back.

The vehicle suddenly lurched and the tire light blinked on. Darcy's heart was pounding as she managed to pull onto the side of the road, thinking that there had been a blow out. She walked around her vehicle but found that that wasn't the case. Squinting down the road, she saw the large lump that was the tire that had somehow come completely off the axel. Though she couldn't do anything about her situation, she thought it would be best to roll the tire into the ditch so no other motorist would damage their car by running over it.

She dialed as she walked and the moment she pressed the green call button, she heard a low growl. She looked up and was staring into a pair of red eyes.

Adrenaline hit and she started to back away. Her phone fell from her hand and she started to run to the best of her ability. She was in the middle of nowhere, with no source of safety in sight. She quickly decided that her best bet would be to get into her car and lock the doors.

It felt like she was running miles rather than feet. It was hard to draw in a deep breath and her lower back ached fiercely. She was almost to her car, when something caught her ankle. She crashed down on the asphalt, able to twist at the last minute to avoid absorbing the impact with her stomach. Her glasses flew off as the side of her head hit the ground hard and she could feel the warm rush of blood coating her hair and forehead as she struggled to get up.

She screamed as the growling beast drew closer. She couldn't see anything but red eyes.

Both the beast and his victim turned at the sudden sight of headlights on high beam. The animal was outlined for a moment. It was unlike any animal she had ever seen, though all she could really see without her glasses was a dark, massive figure that walked upright.

Darcy took her opportunity to escape and struggled to get to her car, dragging a throbbing sprained ankle behind her and wrapping one arm protectively over her belly.


	5. Hyperventilate

The moment Derek saw that Darcy was clear, he jammed his car into gear and sped after the Alpha, not stopping until he heard a satisfying thud against his hood. He leapt out of the car, shifting instantly and clawing at the Alpha's throat, letting out a primal growl as he did. The Alpha was strong and threw him back far enough that he landed on Darcy's car and shattered the windshield.

Derek was on his feet a fraction of a second after impact. He reached in and ripped out the steering wheel, smelling the blood from the open fracture he'd made when he hit the Alpha with his own car. He threw the steering wheel, hitting the place where bone, blood, and fur were a mangled mess.

The Alpha dropped to all fours and charged at them. Derek took a protective stance in front of Darcy, ripping the hood of her car off and using it to block the Alpha's claws. Derek charged forward and was able to use his makeshift shield to knock the Alpha backward.

The Alpha flailed his unbroken limbs. Derek stayed low on the hood to avoid the claws, looking behind him to ensure that Darcy wasn't in the line of fire. The Alpha's teeth tore through the metal sheet with a sickening sound. Derek took his opportunity and kicked the Alpha in the jaw, snapping the mouth shut. He then stomped down with all his strength, feeling a tooth break off into the sole of his shoe.

The Alpha roared in pain and cast Derek to the side, the powder blue hood of Darcy's car flying into the tree line as the Alpha wolf fled.

Derek sat for a moment, closing his eyes and catching his breath as he shifted back into his human form before he went to Darcy's side. She was shaking and patting the ground, searching for her glasses. It was obvious that she was nearly blind without them. Derek found the glasses easily, but as much as it pained him to do it, he picked the bent frames and quickly hid them in his car.. There was no need for her to see just how much carnage there was.

"Darcy, are you alright?" he asked.

"Ohmigod," she whispered, struggling to breathe.

"Calm down, this isn't good for you," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. Her skin was cold to the touch. He backed away and nearly ripped his jacket in his haste to wrap the material around her.

"That…it just…I don't understand…"

"Darcy, you need to stop panicking."

"How do you know me?" she said, struggling weakly.

"I'm Derek. We met at your cousin's house."

"Derek?"

He took her wrist and put her arm over his shoulders, helping her to her feet. "Darcy, I need you to try to breathe normally."

"I c-…I can't…" she continued to hyperventilate.

"Walk to my car with me, I'll take you home."

Darcy cried out and Derek caught her in his arms as she collapsed. "Derek…Derek take me to the hospital!" She yelped and dug her fingers into his neck as he lifted her into his arms.

He set her in the passenger seat of his car and started to drive. He felt his own heart rate accelerating with panic and he had to dig his fingernails into his palms to stay under control. He could almost smell the distress her body was going through as it mounted.

She arched her back against the seat and let out another painful cry. He could smell the sharp sting of her tears on the air. He looked quickly at her and then back at the road. He offered her his hand and no longer had to worry about his accelerated heartbeat causing him to shift as she crushed his fingers.

"Don't cry, Darcy," he said, doing his best to be comforting but it had been a while.

Derek weaved through traffic, past all other cars, occasionally going into the wrong lane to maintain his 90 mile an hour pace. He didn't slow until the hospital was in sight. He parked his car quickly, taking up two handicap spaces as he did so. He rushed out of the car and nearly tore the passenger side door off in his haste to get Darcy out. He carried her to the emergency room entrance and ignored the front desk completely, shoving his way into the treatment area and laying Darcy on a bed before grabbing the first white lab coat he saw.

"She's twenty one weeks pregnant with twins and she's having pain," Derek barked at the doctor. Darcy clutched her stomach and bit her lip, letting out a hoarse cry as if to emphasize Derek's point.

The doctor stared at the blood on her face and her swollen ankle and then back at Derek. "What did you do to her?"

Derek lifted the doctor by his collar. "I didn't do anything to her, she was in an accident. Help her now!" Derek dropped the doctor and stared at the middle aged man until he moved into action. Machines were wheeled in and a fetal monitor was attached to Darcy.

"You'll need to step out," the doctor said, trying to regain his dignity. "We'll be informing the police of what you've done."

"Make sure you get Sheriff Stilinski," Derek replied.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy had never been more terrified, than she was the moment the pain began. She knew what it meant and even now she was still trying to clutch at her stomach as if somehow she could keep her babies safe if she held them. All that she could really see without her glasses was the glare of the lights.

Pain barely registered as an IV was placed. "Tell us your name and age, sweetie," a nurse with a soothing voice urged her.

"Darcy…I'm Darcy, seventeen," she said. "Are they OK?"

"They're both still alive. Whatever happened to you triggered preterm labor. We're about to start you on a tocolytic agent that will stop the contractions. After we have that under control, we'll do an emergency ultrasound to make sure that everything is alright with your babies."

The nurses soothing voice reassured Darcy. They would be alright. She knew they would be. "Thank you," she whispered and bit her lip as another contraction twisted her back into painful knots.

A doctor entered, but all Darcy could see was the blob of a white coat. He approached the IV stand and raised his arm. Darcy assumed he was injecting something into the IV but she couldn't be sure without her glasses.

"Can you tell me how this happened?" the nurse asked as she began to clean the blood from Darcy's forehead.

"My car…" Darcy began, but she couldn't explain any further. It already felt fuzzy, as if her mind knew better than to keep the memory.

"Who was the young man that brought you here?" the doctor asked.

"Derek," Darcy replied. Another wave of pain roiled through her, but it was less severe this time.

"Did he attack you?"

"No! No, he helped me. I had an accident…something…my car…"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Derek pulled Stiles and Scott from the line of lacrosse players returning to the locker rooms.

"Go to the hospital, now!" he ordered.


	6. Rest

Darcy sighed as she finished her last magazine. The doctor had released her, telling her to take it easy, which her uncle and cousin took to mean that she must stay in bed at all times. During the weekend, it hadn't been so bad with her cousin and Scott to entertain her. She was getting restless now that she was home alone.

She finally decided that a short walk wouldn't hurt too much. Her ankle really didn't bother her at all. She'd had worse sprains during her two years of competitive cheerleading.

There was a cool breeze as she opened the door, but before she could step outside and voice startled her. "You're supposed to rest."

She fell back against the door frame and caught her breath when she realized that it was Derek. "And you shouldn't really scare me like that," she scolded.

"I found your glasses," Derek said without apologizing, though Darcy liked the think that she saw a twinge of contrition in his eyes.

"Oh, thanks," Darcy said. She took the glasses from his outstretched hand, bent the frame back to the proper form and cleaned the lenses. She took off her old, back up glasses and put on her newly returned favorite pair. "Do you want to come inside?"

Derek thought for a moment before following her inside without a word. He certainly wasn't much for conversation, but it was better than being alone. Darcy gestured to the kitchen table and Derek sat down and looked at her.

Darcy walked around the kitchen, pulling out baking supplies and smiling when she realized that the pantry had been restocked without her knowledge. Her bet was that Stiles, who knew very well that she always baked when she was bored or worried, had bought groceries hoping to capitalize on her doctor ordered rest time.

She decided she was in the mood for red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and started making the batter from scratch. After a surprisingly comfortable silence, she spoke, "So, Derek, how did you meet my cousin?" she asked, setting the oven to preheat.

"Some recent circumstances led to it."

"Alright…so what do you do when your not being vague?"

"I usually don't have much free time. Being vague is time consuming."

Darcy laughed. "Well, I can't say I expected you to have a sense of humor." She poured the batter into a round pan and licked the spoon clean before throwing it in the sink.

"I keep it hidden most of the time."

"So what's so special about this situation that you decided to bring on the funny?"

"Red velvet cake is my favorite," he said, shrugging.

Darcy rinsed the bowl and sat down in the chair across from Derek. "Well, I suppose I owe you a cake. You showed up at a pretty convenient time."

Derek made a non-committal grunting sound.

"Did you see what it was that attacked me?" she asked. "Stiles tried to tell me it was a mountain lion, but I saw it stand up. At least, I think I did. Maybe it was a hallucination though. They told me I must have had one when I remembered there being a fight between the animal and…I guess it was a man…"

"You were unconscious when I found you," Derek said, his tone indicating that he didn't want to continue the conversation.

"I really don't think it was a mountain lion. I mean, I know I couldn't exactly see without my glasses, but I think it was something else. A bear, maybe. Because I'm sure that I saw it stand up at some point. I wish they would have been able to find my car. My uncle thinks that someone took it to sell the parts so we'll probably never get it back."

"Darcy, drop it."

Darcy slumped her shoulders. "Fine. I won't talk about it anymore. But I still have my theories."

"What would get you to stop thinking about it? It's not good for you."

"I'll stop thinking about it when I have answers." The timer on the oven beeped and Darcy went to get the cake out of the oven. She set the cake down to cool and returned to her chair.

Derek stared at the stubborn girl and sighed. "Have you gone shopping for the babies yet?" he asked.

"No, I don't have any money."

"If I agree to pay for whatever you want today will you agree to stop thinking about the animal attack."

"You know, trying to distract a woman from thinking with the offer of shopping is extremely sexist."

"Did it work?"

"Yes…but it's still very sexist."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy laid all the purchases of the day on her bed. She had ended up getting five outfits for each baby, along with three little caps, and two packets of little socks.

Stiles barged in without knocking. "Darcy, this was on the front step for you," he said, handing her a fairly heavy brown paper bag. "Where did all this come from?"

"Derek," she replied. "He found my glasses and was returning them. We just started talking and he offered to help me out with baby things."

"You went out with Derek?" Stiles said loudly.

"Well…it wasn't like that exactly. He was just helping me out, Stiles."

"Alright. Well…I just want you to be careful."

"Stiles, he bought baby clothes, its not like that's an engagement ring. He's your friend anyway."

Stiles sighed in defeat and left the room shouting over his shoulder, "Well fine, I'm going to eat all the cake."

Darcy opened the bag and found a note on top of a pile of clothing. She unfolded the scrap of paper and read the message written in neat block letters: _You forgot to get something for yourself. -Derek H._

Darcy pulled out the garments one by one and found that she now had a small collection of maternity clothes.


	7. Radiant

Stiles wasn't sure exactly what he thought he was going to do or say, but he knew he had to confront Derek. He just hadn't expected it to be so soon. His plan to ambush Derek at the charred remains of the Hale house was totally ruined by running into Derek on the way there.

Stiles stood awkwardly and stuttered a bit before spitting out, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Walking," Derek replied, looking at Stiles like he was an idiot.

"Derek, you can't mess around right now. If I can be serious, you sure as hell can."

Derek nodded slowly. "Alright."

"OK then. Are you trying to get with Darcy?"

"I feel a growing level of attachment to her."

"What? Speak like a normal person. So you like her?" Stiles' thoughts raced and he made a mental not that Adderall before a serious conversation was a bad idea.

"Yes, I like her."

"You can't mess with her emotions right now, Derek. She's got a lot going on in her life."

"I'm aware of that and I accept it."

"I know I'm not a threat to you, like, at all. But if you hurt my cousin, I swear I'll steal one of those magic bullets from the Argents and shoot you in the ass."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Derek went to the Stilinski home the next morning and knocked on the door. Darcy was smiling when she opened the door and Derek understood what people meant about the pregnant glow. She looked radiant.

"Oh, hey, Derek," she said. "What's up?"

"I was…wondering if you and I could spend another day together."

Darcy laughed. "I think someone just wants more cake."

Derek shrugged. "That would be nice, but I swear I just want your company."

"That's sweet of you," she replied, stepping aside so he could enter.

He came inside and the house already smelled delicious. He followed her and sat beside her on the couch. Derek wasn't sure what to do from there. Though there were plenty of females that chased after him, he'd never actually encountered one that he liked so much. He spent nearly a minute trying to figure out how to talk to her before she interrupted. "Derek, are you alright?"

"No. It shouldn't be this difficult…"

"What shouldn't?"

"I'm trying to ask you on a date," he admitted.

Darcy smiled. "OK, Derek. Hold my hand."

Derek did as she said. Her hand was so much smaller than his and so soft and warm.

"Now, tell my I'm pretty."

"You're beautiful."

Darcy blushed a bit. "Now, ask me if you can take me on a date."

"Can I take you on a date?" he asked.

"Yes," Darcy said. "Now that went well, didn't it?"

Derek kept her hand in his, not willing to let go just yet. "Yes. Can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Don't tell your cousin I'm no better with females than he is."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had decided to wear the only maternity dress she had. It was pale blue and had the kind of skirt that usually distracted her because it swished around so easily. She was distracted for another reason this time.

"I look so pregnant," she said, turning to different angles, but none of them reduced it.

Stiles appeared at the doorway and gave her a sour look. "Really, Darcy? You look great. Go mess up your hair or something. He might think you like him."

"I do like him," she replied.

"Ew!" he yelled over his shoulder as he walked away.

Darcy quickly pulled all her hair to the side and braided it. She wondered if she should put on make up. It was two minutes until seven. She wondered if he was the type to be late and decided he probably wasn't. She slipped on a pair of grey flats and went out to the living room to wait for him. Her uncle and cousin were sitting on the couch, cleaning rifles.

"Oh, my God…" She slapped her hand to her forehead. "Put those away."

There was a knock at the door. It was exactly seven p.m. Her crazy relatives made no indication of putting the rifles away.

She went to answer the door, muttering about insanity.

Derek was holding a white rose that stood out starkly against his dark leather jacket. "You look stunning," he said, handing her the flower.

Darcy smelled the rose. "Thank you. Let's just go."

"Shouldn't I say hello to your male authority figure?"

"What? No, Derek. Google lied to you. We're supposed to run and avoid my family at all costs."

Stiles must have heard her urging him to escape because he came to the door and shook Derek's hand, pulling him inside. "Come on in," he said.

"Oh, no…" Darcy muttered as she followed them. "Before you see them, I just want to reassure you that the crazy gene doesn't pass to the women in the family," she whispered to Derek as she looped her arm through his.

Derek surveyed the collection of firearms in the living room and then extended his hand to greet the sheriff. "Good evening, sir," he said. Darcy admired how Derek kept his cool.

"Hello," the sheriff said. "So, what's the plan?"

"I'll be taking Darcy to dinner and to a movie and then for a short walk in the park."

"Have her home before midnight. Oh, and Derek? My deputies patrol the park well. No funny business."

"Let's go!" Darcy declared, pulling Derek towards the door before her uncle and cousin started acting even more embarrassing.


	8. Stars

Derek opened the car door for Darcy. She got in and smoothed her skirt, feeling the first date butterflies. Or maybe that was just the twins. She watched him walk around and get in the driver's seat. It wasn't fair, how good he looked driving that sexy sports car of his. And there she was with no make up and swollen ankles.

"What would you like to eat?" Derek asked.

"Italian food sounds amazing," Darcy said. "It's always been my favorite. I'm craving something with a ton of cheese."

"I can make that happen," Derek replied.

It was a short drive to a cozy little café that Darcy hadn't noticed before. It was a small stone building with ivy growing up the sides and pale blue flowers spilling from window boxes.

Derek held the door open for her and they were seated by a short Italian man, who led them to a secluded booth. Derek helped Darcy get situated before taking his seat across from her. Darcy started feeling that fluttering giddiness she'd gotten when he first picked her up. She was really starting to like him, which worried her because she really didn't know all that much about him.

"So, Derek, where do you live?"

"I'm staying in my family's home. There was…a fire some time ago. I…lost a lot."

Darcy reached across the table and put a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry if I brought up some bad feelings."

"You didn't, Darcy. I just haven't really talked about it to anyone."

"I'm not going to force you to talk if it's uncomfortable for you."

Derek shifted in his seat. "After the fire, my family's fortune went to my sister and I. She recently…passed. I've invested some of the money and I'm using the rest to restore the house."

"Maybe I could see it one day?"

"I'd really like to take you there. You bring beauty everywhere you go, Darcy, and I need beauty in my life."

Darcy blushed. She was speechless. No one had ever said anything like that to her before.

They ordered dinner and resumed their conversation.

"Did you mean that?" she asked. "Or was that just a line?"

"I meant it, Darcy."

She squinted at him, studying his face. "I believe you."

He smiled, looking positively gorgeous in the romantic lighting. "I'm glad for that."

Darcy tore off a piece of complimentary bread. "You should smile more often," she said. "It's cute."

Derek laughed. "No one has called me cute since I was about seven or eight."

"Well, I think you're cute. Especially when you were all shy about asking me out."

"I don't know why everyone seems to think I'm good with girls. I've never been very good with people."

"You're doing just fine with me."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Derek draped his jacket over her shoulders as they looked at the selection of movies. Darcy wrinkled her nose at the posters. "Does anything look good for you?"

"No. I don't watch movies often."

"I'd rather just go to the park."

Derek held her hand as they returned to the car. He opened her door and she thanked him as she climbed in. Darcy liked that he was making such an effort to be a gentleman.

Darcy looked up at the sky as they arrived at the park. "The stars are beautiful. I could just stare at them all night."

Derek took Darcy by the hand and they walked to a grassy area. They sat side by side, propped up on their hands, staring at the sky in silence.

"I've never looked at the sky like this before," Derek admitted.

"I do it all the time. It's so gorgeous."

"You're gorgeous," Derek said quickly.

Darcy giggled. "Oh, wow, that was so cheesy." She leaned against him and Derek took the opportunity to put his arm around her shoulders. She laid her head against his chest and smiled up at him. "For someone who claims to be bad with girls, you seem to be doing alright."

"I'm trying. I'm still trying to figure out how I got this lucky."

"Oh, whatever. Anyone from the outside looking in would say I'm the lucky one. I mean you're all tall, dark, and handsome. And look at me. I'm ballooning by the minute." She rested her hand on her stomach. "Promise you'll still like me when I'm huge?"

Derek pressed his cheek to hers. "I think you're beautiful and you'll get more beautiful each day. May I?"

Darcy nodded and Derek's warm hand rested just below hers. Darcy felt the flutters again and knew that this time it definitely was the twins. "You're making them kick."

"I wish I could feel it." Derek was smiling again.

"You know I…I can't help but be afraid that you'll leave me after they're born because they're not yours." She blamed the tears in her eyes on the hormones, but it was a real fear she had. The more time she spent with Derek, the more the idea of losing him terrified her.

"I don't care about that, Darcy. They're yours and you're the most beautiful thing in my life. How could they be anything less than great?"

"I'm sure Laura and Ayden appreciate that," Darcy said. She sensed that Derek was a bit on edge and she put her hand over his. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…it's just my sister's name was Laura."

"I'm sorry! I didn't know, I just thought it was a pretty name. I can change it if you want."

"No…Darcy, don't change a thing."

Derek kissed her cheek lightly a few times, each time moving closer to her lips but not quite there. Darcy wrapped her arms around him. His body was muscular and warm and she felt safe with him. She gently pressed her lips to his and in that moment it felt like the world stood still.


	9. Follow

Stiles paced around his room, drumming on every flat surface. Finally his patience wore thin and he ran to the front door, intending to just go looking for Scott. They crashed into each other as soon as Stiles started to jog through the door. Stiles leapt up and grabbed Scott by the arm. "Come on, we're going," Stiles said.

"Where?" Scott asked, stumbling along behind Stiles.

"To spy on Darcy, that's where," Stiles said.

"Come on, Stiles. Let's leave her alone."

"What? No. I don't trust Derek."

"They seem to really like each other," Scott said.

"That just makes it worse!"

"Stiles, calm down. Let's just stay here and we can wait for them to get back." Scott tried to dissuade his best friend, but knew that it was probably pointless.

"You can stay here. I'm going." Stiles got in his Jeep and started the engine.

"Fine then. I'm going with you to keep you from ruining their night." Scott jumped into the passenger seat. Stiles sped out of the driveway. "Stiles, I know Derek is kind of out there, but I don't think he'd hurt your cousin. He really does like her."

"Stop saying that," Stiles snapped, speeding toward no particular destination.

"Stiles, don't you want her to be happy?"

Stiles stopped the Jeep suddenly and pulled to the side of the street. He rested his forehead on the steering wheel. "Scott, I grew up with her. She's like my sister. Its not that I don't want her to be happy…it's just I'm scared that if she gets involved with Derek, she'll get hurt. Not by him, I know she can handle him. But the Alpha has already attacked her once. I don't want her around all this werewolf business. It's like…my dad and Darcy are my closest family members and now they're both in danger. All I want is to keep them safe, but I can't do anything."

Scott thought of his mother and Allison and even Stiles. They were all so close to danger because of him. He could understand the fear, the guilt. He sighed and closed his eyes. "What were they going to do?"

Stiles and Scott shared a look. "Thanks," Stiles muttered, deciding that they would stake out the park.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Derek stared at Darcy as she laid her head on his chest. She was beautiful to look at, but even more beautiful to be around. Derek hadn't felt so much happiness in years. Darcy reminded him what it felt like to be loved. . Before she'd come into his life, the pressure had started to wear on him. Without his family, what really mattered? It had all seemed pointless. She was his reason to continue trying to fight the Alpha

Darcy stretched her arm and put her hand in Derek's hair. "You know what?" she said dreamily.

"What's that?" Derek said.

Darcy sat up suddenly and grabbed the front of Derek's shirt. "I want oatmeal really, really bad. Oh, with brown sugar! Or maybe really buttery popcorn. Pickles too. Derek, why aren't you writing this down?"

Derek smiled and sat up, wrapping his arms around Darcy and kissing her forehead. "I remember it, Darcy. Come on, let's go get oatmeal, brown sugar, popcorn, and pickles."

"Are you serious?"

"Isn't that what you want?"

"You're a good man, Derek."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Stiles and Scott ducked low in their seats and watched Derek open the car door for Darcy.

"See? They're fine. Darcy's safer with Derek anyway, Stiles. Let's go back to your house, I feel a little uneasy."

"No, Scott. Who is that guy over there?"

Scott squinted at the dark outline of a tall and wide man. Scott didn't recognize him, but the figure made him feel on edge. "Get down, Stiles." Scott grabbed Stiles by the shirt they both ducked out of sight. "Did he see us?"

The Jeep lurched forward as something landed on the roof. Stiles fumbled with the keys in the ignition, his nerves weren't helped by Scott urging him on, "Hurry!"

Finally, the engine purred to life. Scott twisted around in his seat to watch as the man fell to the macadam.

"Is he gone?" Stiles asked.

"Just keep driving," Scott said. He'd lost sight of the dark figure. "I can't see him."

Stiles swerved and Scott crashed forward into the dashboard. Stiles scrambled to lock the doors as the huge man continued to approach the Jeep, now in front of them. Stiles thrummed on the steering wheel and threw it into reverse, knocking a mail box over as he made a rapid three point turn to get away.

"Is he still behind us?" Stiles asked after he nearly lost control on a curve.

Scott turned and looked. "No, I don't think so."

"Who was that?"

"I don't know!" Scott snapped.

"Do you think it was the Alpha?"

"I don't know. He didn't shift. I couldn't really get a good look."

"We need to tell Derek about this. Now."

"What, you all the sudden want him around?"

Stiles gave Scott a look that clearly said 'shut up' as he replied, "That guy was watching them. So either he's after Derek and Darcy's in trouble. Or he's after Darcy and she's in trouble."

"We don't even know who or what he is."

"He friggin' jumped on my Jeep. I don't care if he's not a werewolf, he's still crazy and he was watching them."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy grabbed a box of instant oatmeal and dropped it in with the rest of her stash. Derek looked almost comically out of place pushing the Wal-Mart shopping cart, but he was still unbelievably sexy. Darcy hugged him and sighed at the feel of two strong arms around her. She felt like she could get addicted to it.

There was a crashing sound behind her and she slapped her hand to her forehead when she saw Stiles running towards them, Scott close behind him trying to grab his shirt to slow him down. They'd knocked over the Cheerio pyramid.

Derek looked increasingly annoyed as Stiles, who had finally reached them, was so out of breath he couldn't even spit out the reason he'd interrupted their time together. "You…I need to…talk…" Stiles gasped as he poked Derek in the chest.

Scott stumbled up and pulled Stiles away from Derek, who was tensing up as if ready to punch Stiles the next time the teenager poked him.

"It's important," Scott said.

Derek sighed and took out his wallet. He handed Darcy his credit card and kissed her cheek. "Go pay for your things and I'll see if I can get rid of them."

Darcy watched the three young men walk away, Derek scowling the entire time. She shrugged and figured it was just Stiles being his idiotic self, probably there to threaten Derek in some way for the kiss she was sure one of the deputy sheriffs had seen. After all, the officer had been watching her and Derek for most of their time in the park.


	10. Beast

"Derek, we saw the Alpha!" Stiles blurted.

Derek ran his hand through his hair and sighed, the rush of his first date with Darcy replaced by the cold dread that she could be in danger. "Tell me everything."

"Well, Scott wanted to go spy on you and Darcy for some reason. I told him it was weird, but he wouldn't listen, so me being the bumbling sidekick, I just went along…" Scott elbowed Stiles in the ribs. Stiles coughed. "Anyway…after you guys left the park, we noticed there was this guy who had been watching you guys. He noticed us and he jumped on my Jeep and so we lost him and we came here."

Derek fought the urge to knock the two idiots' heads together. "So…" Derek began, but lost his thoughts. Darcy's heart rate had increased suddenly. He felt cold. He never should have let her out of his sight.

Derek grabbed the two teenagers by the shirts as he started to follow the sound of Darcy's panicked heart. They followed after him.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy felt the cold metal against her stomach through the material of her dress. She gasped and bit back a scream of terror, somehow remaining calm enough to know that making a lot of noise might put her in danger.

"Come with me," the man behind her said. "Act natural."

To anyone in the store, they looked like any young couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other. His jacket hid the gun in his hand that was pressed her pregnant belly.

"What do you want?" she asked shakily.

"Shut up," her attacker hissed in her ear as he led her to an abandoned corner of the already fairly empty parking lot.

Darcy was fighting not to panic, but it was difficult and she wished that he would get the gun away from where her unborn children were growing. She would rather he held the gun to her head. At least then, she knew that if things went wrong she would die with them. As it was, if he shot through her stomach, she might survive but her babies probably wouldn't. The thought of harm coming to them scared her more than anything else.

She tried to keep her breathing under control. Derek was just inside the store with Stiles and Scott. Surely they would be looking for her. They'd see her abandoned purchase. They'd come outside. Maybe they would notice her and the gunman. Probably not though. The security lamp was out. It was much too dark for anyone to see them.

"Why are you doing this?" Darcy asked, her voice hoarse and her entire body shaking with fear.

The gunman didn't respond.

"Don't you…don't you want me to know why? What good will it do to hurt me if I don't know why?"

"Shut up, bitch. I should just put a bullet through you."

He pressed the gun harder against her skin and she squeaked with fear. "I'm having twins. If you hurt me, you'll hurt them too. They didn't do anything wrong. There are other ways…"

"Shut up!"

Darcy clamped her lips shut. All those episodes of Criminal Minds she'd given up sleep for were doing her no good. She didn't know what she could do to negotiate herself out of this situation.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Derek moved quickly and stealthily. "Get your Jeep," Derek ordered Stiles. "Scott, come with me."

The two werewolves approached Darcy and her attacker. Derek assessed the situation. The assailant had a gun pressed to the side of her stomach. Her heart was beating fast, but she was taking slow, steady breaths to try to control it.

The gunman looked up at Derek's approach, a sick smile crossed his face. "What's this? A Hale?"

Derek grimaced. The gunman smelled like a werewolf, but tainted somehow. Insane. "Let the girl go."

"I won't be doing that. You have to pay…"

"What do I have to pay for?"

"My pack…my pack…you Hales took it. Now I'll take yours. I'll take your pack. You will know how it feels…" His finger twitched on the trigger, but did not pull it.

"She's pregnant because of you. She's carrying part of your pack."

"You stole them from me! Hale, you stole them!" The deranged werewolf started to wave the gun around. Darcy ducked down to avoid his flailing hand. The werewolf shoved her forward. She landed hard on her knees, the smell of her blood filled the air. Her assailant started to laugh. "Now I recognize her. On her knees. I'll make her mine again. I'm taking them back. My pack."

Darcy lunged toward the gun, sinking her teeth into the forearm of her attacker. He was shocked, probably more at her acts than the pain. The gun dropped from his hand and his eyes flashed green and he shifted. Darcy started to crawl away, but she was too slow. The werewolf caught her by the throat.

Derek growled and shifted, lunging forward, pulling Darcy away from him and pushing her back into Scott's arms. Derek growled again and pounced at the werewolf who had attacked Darcy. He slashed his claws across the other wolf's face.

He felt claws dig into his side but ignored the pain. All he knew was the need for vengeance. There was the werewolf who had used Darcy as nothing more than a tool in his sick ambitions and then tried to hurt her. Had caused her heart to beat fast in fear. Pushed her down.

Derek's teeth tore into the pale, tender flesh of the other beta's throat. Blood poured out onto the asphalt of the parking lot. The smell sent Derek into a frenzy. This was right. This was vengeance.

The sound of a Jeep approaching brought Derek back to reality. He shifted, dropping the bloody, unconscious body like a rag doll.

He approached Darcy, wanting to hold her, to be sure she was safe. She clutched Scott's arm for support. He reached out for her. She flinched and moved away.

The blood on his hands and mouth felt cold and condemning. She was afraid of him.

Tears were on her cheeks as she continued to back away, Scott stumbling alongside her to keep her upright. Stiles leapt out of his Jeep and rushed to her side. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her weight on him.

Stiles took one look at the blood that covered Derek and made no comment, turning his attention back to Darcy. "Are you alright?"

"What's going on?" she demanded weakly.

"We need to get you home and calmed down. Are you sure you're OK? Are you feeling any pain?" Stiles rubbed small circles on Darcy's back, doing his best to calm her down.

"No I'm…I'm just…so tired."

Stiles and Scott supported Darcy between them and helped her to the Jeep. Derek followed closely behind, desperate to at least touch Darcy's arm. He needed to know that she was alright.

Once she was in the passenger seat, Derek wedged his way past Scott. "Darcy…" he said.

She groaned slightly and moved away from his touch. "Don't…not with blood…"

Derek felt ashamed again and tried to wipe the blood on his jeans. "I can explain it all…I swear I can," he said.

"Not right now, Derek." She sounded exhausted.

"Darcy, I'm sorry. I need to know that you don't hate me…"

Darcy sighed. She was shaking, but trying to calm herself down. "You saved me…I'm pretty sure for the second time." She closed her eyes.

Derek nodded. "Yes."

There was a period of silence. "We can talk tomorrow." She rested her hands on her belly and sank against the seat.

Derek stood back as Scott closed the door to the Jeep. He still felt a bit empty because he hadn't gotten the reassuring feel of her touch, but her words were comforting. She was still willing to see him.


	11. Revealed

Darcy fully intended to grill Stiles and Scott, but as soon as the Jeep started moving a wave of fatigue hit her.

She woke up in the guest bedroom bed, disoriented. She felt around for her glasses for nearly ten minutes before she realized that her head was at the foot of the bed. She sat up and continued to feel around until she found her glasses. It was five o' clock in the morning.

Darcy had a bad taste in her mouth and her head still hurt from the stress of the night before. Her knees were bruised and scraped. She really wanted a shower.

She grabbed a pair of maternity jeans, a purple baby doll top, and the necessary undergarments and toiletries. She bumped into her uncle in the hallway.

"Darcy, are you alright? Stiles told me what happened…"

"What?" Darcy was confused. Her uncle seemed too calm. "I'm fine, I just need a shower."

The sheriff nodded. "Darcy, is it true? Did you really get mugged? Or did Derek Hale hurt you?"

"No, no, Derek never hurt me. And I promise, I'll be fine as soon as I get showered."

Her uncle gave her a quick hug and she felt a little bad. It wasn't really lying exactly, but she hoped he never found out the truth.

Once she was showered, Darcy felt a lot better, but still tired. She went back to her bed and laid there, meaning only to rest her eyes. It was noon when she woke up to the smell of popcorn.

She followed her nose, rubbing her eyes behind her glasses. Derek was in the kitchen and he handed her the bowl. She accepted it with an awkwardly muttered, "Thanks." She didn't really eat much. She could hardly look at Derek.

"Darcy, you need to eat something. I'll get you whatever you want. I have a lot to tell you today and I don't want you to hear it on an empty stomach."

Darcy sighed, cold dread gripped at her chest. She wanted to know the truth because she still cared deeply about Derek, but she was afraid to. The things she had seen him do in the parking lot terrified her. True, it had been to protect her…but there was so much blood. "Waffle fries and mayonnaise," Darcy muttered. "That's what I want."

Derek didn't make a move to touch her and instead wordlessly led the way to his car. He opened the door so she could get in and they rode in silence to the Chic-Fil-A drive thru. He handed her the bag and she ate quietly. Darcy was tired of not talking to him and not touching him, but she felt like there was some mental block there.

Derek drove out into the middle of no where, deep into the woods. The burned shell of a house appeared through the trees. He parked the car and got out, opening the door for her.

Darcy followed Derek to the front door of the house, staring up at its charred frame and damaged roof. He led her to a room that had been restored and refurbished. She sat on a chair, picking waffle fry crumbs off her belly. Derek pulled a chair across from her.

"Darcy, there's a lot about me I haven't told you. There are some things you may not even know about yourself. It's going to be hard to believe, but I need you to trust me. Can you do that for me?"

Darcy nodded.

Derek sighed and began his story.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"The first thing you need to accept is that werewolves are real. Its what I am. Scott is too. Your attacker was too."

"But, what I don't-"

Derek interrupted. "This will be easier if you save your questions."

Darcy sighed and clamped her mouth shut. Derek wanted to reach out and hold her. He didn't want to have to tell her all these things that would shock and horrify her.

"Scott was bitten a short time ago and he became a werewolf. I'm trying to help him learn. I was born a werewolf. The gene can run in families. Not much is known about it, but there are a few things that are always true. If two people who were bitten have a child, that child will be a werewolf. If a woman was born a werewolf, all her children will be werewolves. And finally, if a werewolf and a human conceive on a full moon, the child will be a werewolf. Do you understand so far?"

Darcy shrugged. "I guess I understand…"

"The fire that took my family from me was caused by hunters. There is a family of hunters here. Their name is Argent. If you ever come into contact with any of them, its important that you don't show what you know."

Darcy nodded.

Derek held back a wince as he continued with the things he wished he didn't have to say. "The first time you were attacked, it was the Alpha. He's more powerful than me, I'm just a beta. The Alpha is trying to gain power. I don't know why yet. I just know that he's been murdering around here."

Derek paused for so long that Darcy thought he was done. "Is that all? I mean…wow, that's a lot…but…"

Derek held up his hand. The worst part had yet to come. "The werewolf who attacked you last night…did you recognize him at all?"

Darcy's immediate response was, "No." But the more she thought about it, the more it started to come back to her. The fuzzy memory of the party that had led to the unborn children currently trying to tap dance on her kidneys. "I think I…"

Derek sighed and closed his eyes. "The beta that attacked you last night believes in a legend that states if a beta can grow a pack of his own, he can earn enough strength to become an Alpha. I learned last night after you were safe that the Alpha left Beacon Hills to…to murder his pack. It drove him to insanity and that's why he attacked you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done that because…" Derek took a deep breath. "I believe that the night you got pregnant, he was there and he may have drugged you so you wouldn't remember him because…" Derek couldn't say it out loud.

Darcy reached the conclusion on her own. "Oh God…" Without thinking, she reached for Derek's hands. She was shaking as he pulled her into his arms.

"Darcy, there's nothing to worry about. I'll help you. I swear I will."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy didn't recall fainting at first. She was confused as she woke up, lying on a rug with her feet propped up on a stool. She started to sit up and Derek appeared at her side. He helped her into a sitting position.

"How do you feel?"

"I don't know," Darcy said. She searched for more to say, but that's all that came. "I…I don't know." She pressed her hand to her stomach, for a moment wondering if she was going to be sick, but she decided against it. Derek kept his arms around her and she appreciated the support.

Her two little babies really could be the monsters she'd seen in her dreams.

She hated the thought, hated it as soon as it crossed her mind.

They were not monsters. And even if they were, she wouldn't care. She would love them no matter what.


	12. No Rest

Derek gently tilted Darcy's chin up and gave her a quick kiss. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked.

"I am. I'm just…still in shock probably, but I'll be alright. I just need some time to process."

Derek heard the approach of the hunters and winced, his mind racing to come up with a plan to keep Darcy safe. He took both her hands in his and knelt in front of her. "Listen to me, Darcy. The hunters are close and things might get dangerous. You need to hide and stay hidden no matter what is done to me." He reached into his pockets and pressed his keys into her hand. "If they take me, you need to get as far away as you can. Don't let them see you."

Their vehicles ground to a stop outside. Derek pulled Darcy to her feet and urged her into a closet pressing his lips to hers as if it would be the last time. "But I…I can't drive a standard," Darcy squeaked as Derek pushed an antique full length mirror to hide the door.

There was an increasingly loud squeal, like a pot of boiling water. A hole appeared in the wall with a crash, jarring the foundation of the house. The light flashed so bright that Derek stumbled to his knees, stunned momentarily.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes against the blinding light. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, Derek's keys still in her hand. There was a slight crack in the door and she edged up to it, careful to remain hidden as she watched three people enter the room.

She watched as a woman with strawberry blond hair and crazy eyes jabbed Derek with a prod of some sort. His body convulsed on the floor and she jabbed him again. The two men that flanked her showed no emotion.

Darcy bit down on her balled up fist, doing her best to follow Derek's order to stay hidden.

The deranged woman kicked Derek's shoulder, forcing him to roll facing up. She electrocuted him again.

Darcy felt the tears starting to fall. She urged him on mentally, _"Get up…just get up…fight back…please, get up." _

"What do you want, Kate?" he said hoarsely.

She moved the long, pronged rod threateningly and laughed when he flinched. "I want to know about the beta you fought last night."

Derek coughed. "I don't know anything about him. I don't know where he is."

Kate sighed. "Oh, we know where he is and he's probably making some maggots very happy right now. I want to know why he was here. He said some fairly interesting things while he was dying."

"I don't know anything," Derek replied.

"Wrong answer," Kate declared as she electrocuted him again. Derek's eyes flashed and he shifted to his werewolf form momentarily, causing her to shock him again until he returned to human. "I can guarantee I'll never get bored with this. Tell me what I need to know."

"I don't know anything," Derek said again. "He was a stranger to me."

"See, he didn't think so. He went on and on about how a Hale killed his pack, which you know, if you did, good for you. But then he said something about a girl…"

Darcy almost felt as if they saw her and she edged back deeper into the shadows but the hunters didn't come near her.

"Who's the girl?" Kate demanded, giving him a short shock.

"I don't know anything about that," Derek said through clenched teeth.

Kate pressed the rod to his chest again. Darcy bit down on her knuckle with bruising force to keep from crying out. She wasn't sure if Derek could survive that. The hunter just kept going. Derek's body convulsed and his face was twisted in pain.

"Where is she, Derek? Who is she?" Kate taunted, finally ending the electrocution just as it started to look like Derek might pass out.

"I don't know," Derek spat.

The pulsing sound of music broke through the silence. Loud war whoops and the roar of jacked up engines followed.

"Let's get out of here," Kate said, almost as if she were bored.

Once she was sure the hunters were gone, Darcy rammed into the door with her shoulder, sending the mirror crashing down. The shards crunched under her shoes as she rushed to Derek's side.

"Are you alright?" she asked, grasping his hand. It felt clammy and he was shaking slightly.

"Nothing I can't overcome," he said with a weak smile. "You look so pretty."

"Wow, you're delirious," she said with a relieved laugh.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Stiles shoved past disgruntled teenagers, searching for Scott and avoiding his father and the deputies. He wordlessly fell in step with Scott as they snuck into the Hale house.

"I'm so glad that worked," Stiles replied.

Scott nodded. "You know we're both going to be total outcasts if it gets out that we caused this."

Stiles shrugged. Becoming a social pariah was well worth it. He was just glad that Scott had been in the right place at the right time to see the hunters approaching. That, paired with the teenagers of Beacon Hills getting restless as Friday night dawned, made starting the rumor of a party at the Hale house all too easy. The difficult part had been convincing his dad that he'd actually been invited to a real drinking party and it wasn't a prank.

Scott led the way to a back room where Darcy was kneeling by Derek. There were burn marks on his grey T-shirt and he looked paler than usual.

"What happened?" Stiles asked.

"Some crazy people called hunters," Darcy said.

"That would be Scott's girlfriend's family," Stiles replied. "Are you alright, Darcy?"

"I'm fine. Derek was the one she hurt." Darcy looked down at Derek and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of her hand.

"We need to get out of here," Stiles said. "Scott and I had to send a bunch of people over here thinking there was a party and then get the sheriff's department out here to bust it up. They'll probably check the house soon."

Stiles helped Darcy to her feet and then the three of them helped Derek up. Darcy kept herself wedged under Derek's arm to offer support as they made their way out the back of the house.


	13. Timing

**Thanks to all my frequent reviewers (especially Dragonryder94 and EverythingSlytherin). I love the feedback so give it to me and I'll stop begging (no I won't).**

"We can go back to my house," Stiles said. "I'm sure my dad will be out late processing everyone."

"Thank you both so much," Darcy said.

The Jeep hit a bump and Derek lurched to the side. Darcy steadied him and held him in her arms to keep him from moving around as the road got rough. Scott and Stiles had reassured her that Derek would be alright, but he seemed to be in pretty bad shape. Darcy ran her fingers through his hair and examined his face. She ran her thumb over the stubble on his cheek, then to his forehead. Darcy kissed Derek. His hand rested warmly on her shoulder.

"You two, chill back there," Stiles said, giving them the stink eye in the rearview mirror.

"Leave them alone," Scott said, smiling at Stiles' version of overprotective mode.

"It's the rules of the Jeep. If I don't get to make out in my vehicle, no one does. So chill."

Derek sat up suddenly and Stiles swerved in his rush to cover his head. Derek gave him a strange look and slowly put his arm around Darcy's shoulders. "The hunters know about Darcy. I'm not sure if they know that she's pregnant, but it's best to assume that they do. We have to keep her away from the Argents, including Allison." Derek gave Scott a pointed look. Scott scowled defensively. "Nothing against your precious Allison. It just won't take much for them to figure out that Darcy is the girl the beta they killed was talking about. They can't find out about her."

Stiles nodded seriously. He didn't want to test if the hunters drew the moral line at torturing a pregnant teenager. He was fairly certain that crazy Aunt Kate would be all for it, especially if they some how figured out that Darcy was playing incubator to two baby werewolves.

"Derek, I can't just hide out. I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon for some blood work and another ultrasound. If those insane people do know that I'm pregnant, wouldn't it make sense for them to be looking for me in places like that."

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose and thought silently. "Alright. Scott, Stiles, the two of you take my car and drive it around town an hour before the appointment. Hopefully that will distract the hunters."

"What if they follow us?" Scott asked.

"Lose them," Derek replied shortly.

"I hate to be a wet blanket here, but that will only work once," Stiles said.

"We have to take it one step at a time," Derek replied.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Derek insisted he was fine, but Darcy didn't want him to return home just yet. She used the excuse that he may get spotted by the police or some of the lingering would-be partygoers. Though he could have easily avoided being seen, Derek wasn't in a rush to leave Darcy either.

Darcy insisted that Derek lay down on her bed. She returned with a bowl of cool water and a washcloth. First she gently wiped his face, ignoring his insistences that he was fine.

"Let me see if you're hurt," Darcy said, pulling at the bottom of his T-shirt.

"I'm healed," Derek replied.

"Just let me check."

"But I'm fine."

Darcy closed her eyes and sighed. "I've had a stressful time lately. I want you to take off your shirt. Got it?"

Derek nodded and obliged. As he had said, there were no wound where he had been electrocuted, but there were some spots where his flawless skin was marred by soot marks. Darcy tenderly washed away the black residue and Derek watched her, fascinated by her every move. Once she had set the washcloth aside, Derek pulled her toward him so that she straddled his waist. He reached up and carefully pulled the rubber band out of her hair. Her face was surrounded by a halo of dark waves.

"You really are beautiful," he whispered, moving a few strands of hair to look into her hazel eyes.

She blushed and bit her bottom lip. "You're beautiful too," she replied, running her hand across his broad shoulders and muscular pecs. "Friggin' gorgeous…"

Derek put his hand on the back of Darcy's head, his fingers tangling a bit in her soft hair. He pulled her towards him, meeting her half way in a kiss. Her lips were soft. Everything about her was so soft.

Darcy made a soft moaning sound as Derek's hand traveled down her back. "Wow…" she whispered.

He heard her heart rate increase and for the first time, it wasn't cause for panic. Derek pulled Darcy closer, sitting up so that she was on his lap. She blushed as her baby bump pressed against his hard abs. Derek didn't seemed to notice. Both his hands were on her lower back, massaging in small circles.

Darcy hesitantly slid her tongue against his lips and he welcomed it. Once his tongue started to dance with hers, Darcy had to push away for a moment. "Holy crap…wow…just give me a minute."

Derek hugged Darcy close, kissing her collarbone and watching little goosebumps appear across her arms and chest. He kissed her neck and then returned to her mouth, sucking lightly at her bottom lip. Her heart was racing now and he could feel the heat rising off her body.

The door opened suddenly, bathing them in light. Derek didn't move away, but Darcy turned suddenly.

Stiles stood in the doorway, hiding his eyes. "Oh, nasty!" he shouted. "Dad just called to say he'd be home soon. You two stop being gross!"

Darcy made a rude hand gesture at Stiles as he closed the door.

"Bad timing, huh," she said.

He kissed her one last time before allowing her to slide off his lap and onto the mattress beside him. He hugged her and whispered in her ear, "I fully intend to continue this later."

"Oh, hell," she muttered as his hand trailed up and down her body.

Derek reluctantly stood and pulled his shirt back over his head. Darcy watched him, trying not to drool over his flexing muscles. He leaned over her and gave her a quick good bye kiss. "Get some rest," he said.

"Oh, mercy," she said as he exited through the window. She felt slightly out of breath and a bit giddy. She let out one more sigh before she got out of the bed, smoothing her hair as she stepped into the hallway.

Stiles was in the kitchen shoveling cereal into his mouth as if his life depended on it. "Look at me. I'm stress eating," he said. "I've been traumatized."

Darcy stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm so getting you back so watch out."

"I'm probably gonna gain about fifty pounds before I eat enough to get that out of my head," Stiles retaliated. "Isn't that punishment enough for interrupting?"

Darcy picked up a magazine and whacked Stiles on the side of the head. "Let's not joke about weight gain with the pregnant chick."


	14. Father

Derek looked at the two teenagers in front of him, very reluctant to entrust them with his car. He shifted his gaze between the two of them, trying to decide which one was more responsible but it was a tough call. Finally he decided that though Stiles would probably try to incite a car chase, he was a marginally better option than Scott, who would no doubt be texting Allison non-stop.

Derek dropped his keys and Stiles' hand and the teenager started to celebrate. Derek grabbed the collar of his shirt. "If I find one scratch…" He left the threat open ended and shoved Stiles away as Darcy entered the room.

She laughed and went to take a pie out of the oven. "Be nice to my cousin, Derek."

"As long as he's nice to my car…"

Darcy smiled and set the apple pie to cool, inspecting the crust and declaring it passable. Stiles' face appeared by her shoulder. "You gonna share that?" he asked.

"It's probably really hot right now, but you can have some," she said. "Of course wouldn't you rather play with Derek's car?"

Stiles nodded and grabbed Scott on his way out the door. Scott trailed behind, finding it difficult to text and be drug along by his hyperactive best friend.

Derek wrapped his arms around Darcy from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder, his stubble tickling at her ear. She felt the twins start to move and took Derek's hands, placing them over the place she'd felt the movement. The twins were still for a moment and then started to move again.

"Can you feel them?" Darcy asked.

"I think so," Derek said softly. "It stopped, but it felt like a little bump."

"You'll definitely be able to feel it later on."

"I look forward to it." Derek kissed her cheek.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Stiles sped down the street and passed the Argent family home in a black blur. Scott was in the passenger seat, clinging to the door.

"Is that really necessary?" Scott asked.

"No," Stiles said with a laugh. "Hey, did you see anyone there?"

Scott hesitantly replied. "No…they all went to some event for Allison's mom's job."

"So, their fortress of crazy is abandoned?"

Scott took on his most serious tone. "No, Stiles. Absolutely not."

"Come on! It could be useful. We could find out what kind of weapons they're packing so they lose the element of surprise."

"It's their house though…I mean…isn't that wrong?"

Stiles found a secluded place to park Derek's car. "Wrong is all a matter of perspective. I say it's wrong of them to try to kill my best friend."

Scott shrugged. Stiles did have a point, but the young werewolf was still a little uneasy about the idea.

"Come on, Scott. I'll do all the dirty work. You can just sniff Allison's pillow or something."

"This is a bad idea…"

Stiles just laughed at his best friend's squeamishness as he walked around the perimeter of the house, trying to find an entrance.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Everything looks great," the ultrasound technician said. "Good heart rates, perfect size for their development."

"That's great," Darcy said.

"Let's take another look at the gender, just to make sure," the ultrasound tech said, moving the wand a bit. She squinted at the screen. "Yeah, definitely a boy and a girl! Have you picked names?"

Darcy grinned and took Derek by the hand. "Laura and Ayden," she said.

"Cute, cute…" the tech muttered as she made a few notes. She looked up and smiled at the young couple. "Is this the father?" she asked.

"Yes," Derek said, before Darcy could say anything.

The technician stood and started to pack up the machinery. "Those are gonna be some beautiful babies," she commented with a wide smile. "The doctor is on her way to discuss your blood work."

Darcy nodded as she wiped the ultrasound goo off her stomach with a tissue, thanking the tech as the door closed. She looked at Derek, unable to speak because of a lump in her throat.

"What?" he said.

Darcy sniffled. "You said you were the father." Her eyes filled up with tears and she mentally cursed the crazy hormones.

Derek nodded. "Of course I did."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Stiles opened a cabinet of guns and reached out to touch the most dangerous looking one.

"Don't touch that!" Scott said, shifting uncomfortably. "This was a bad idea…"

"I'm just looking," Stiles hissed. "Come on, all that's here is guns." Stiles gasped. "We should go into her dad's room!"

"No! I don't know how, but he'll know if we do that, Stiles."

"You said you couldn't see any sign of a security system. We'll be fine. We'll just put everything back the way we found it." Stiles said, waving off Scott's concerns as he checked the door that led to the kitchen.

"We should just get out of here, Stiles. Seriously, I have a bad feeling."

"You can look in Allison's underwear drawer…" Stiles taunted as he swung the door open.

Scott closed his eyes and checked for the thousandth time to be sure that his and Stiles' were the only hearts beating in the house. "We're gonna get caught…" Scott said as he followed after Stiles.

"Just think of the lacy thongs, my friend."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Darcy slid up close to Derek as he closed the door to Stiles' Jeep and kissed him. He seemed surprised and delighted by her aggressiveness. She slid her hand over his abs as he kissed her neck and collarbone.

A shrill chirping interrupted them. They were both startled. Darcy groaned and reached into her purse, fishing around for the plastic brick that was her temporary cell phone.

"It's Stiles," she muttered. She opened the message and read it to herself. "I'm gonna kill him," she said, showing the phone to Derek.

_Me & S stuck in Argents house, come rescue -Stiles_

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose and started the Jeep, cursing under his breath.


	15. Feel

**Wow, so that was nearly a year I was on hiatus. Weird, right? If you're still paying attention to this story then you are good and I love you. I'm probably going to start speeding things up and get to season two because f*ck logic. I wanna play with the new characters.**

Darcy's hands shook as she flicked the lighter. It had been a long time since she had pulled this prank. The acrid smell of smoke filled the air and she dropped the questionably legal fireworks in the trashcan, waddling away at full speed just as the ruckus began. She dove to hide behind a car, scraping both knees as she did so.

Still shaking, she rose up enough to see the Argent family pouring out on to their front yard, exasperated at the smoky, melted mess their garbage bin had become. A few of their neighbors came out to investigate as well, something Darcy hadn't thought of. She closed her eyes and desperately willed herself not to be seen. She crouched out of sight to the best of her ability until the disgruntled family of hunters and their curious neighbors went back inside.

Darcy caught a glimpse of a tennis shoe on the roof and smiled. At least the two idiots were safe. Getting up was a bit of a production, but she managed to do so without hurting herself. The car she was hiding behind wasn't so lucky and she was a bit puzzled about what to do with the side view mirror she had pulled off. She shrugged and dropped it.

Derek was in mid-lecture by the time she managed to find where they had all run off to. Darcy pressed her hand to her mouth to suppress a giggle. For some reason, it just struck her as hilarious. Derek sounded like a high school teacher and werewolves were real. It was all too much.

For some reason, her laughter turned to tears. Derek's lecture stopped, but before he could reach out to comfort her, Stiles was there. Her cousin's efforts to calm her just made her cry harder and she didn't know why. She knew she was acting crazy, and that just made the sobbing worse. As quickly as it started, it stopped with a hiccup. She looked at each of them, daring them to make a comment.

:::::::::::::::

Stiles still felt cold. He didn't usually let much get to him, but he felt so low as he returned home that night. Darcy drifted away, with a whispered excuse of being tired. He lingered out in the hall, wanting to talk to her. He held his fist up, waiting for the courage to just knock on the door. The light under the door flipped off and he hoped that she actually was going to sleep.

Stiles stayed by the door for a long time, resting his forehead against the smooth finish. Derek was right. He was an idiot. He needed to grow up. His family was so close to this and the thought of losing them was paralyzing. He would have given anything in the world to get them away from the danger.

::::::::::::::

Derek stared harshly at Scott, but the teen didn't back down. "You know he means well," Scott said.

"He could've caused so much trouble," Derek hissed. "And you went along with it."

"He really thought it would help."

"Well, he needs to stop trying to help. He's only causing trouble. Darcy's already under enough stress as it is, he made it worse tonight."

Scott sighed and blurted, "You're not the only one who cares about her."

Derek scowled.

"Stiles lost his mom, Derek. He doesn't have much family left. He's trying to protect his dad, Darcy, and me. Yeah, what we did was probably stupid. But I know Stiles. The only reason he thought it would be a good idea is because the Argents are a potential threat to people he cares about." Scott could feel his heart rate increase and he took a deep, calming breath. "There's a lot of pressure on him."

"What do you want me to do?" Derek asked pointedly.

"Apologize for getting mad at him," Scott said.

Derek exhaled and his annoyed look somewhat softened. "You're both idiots…but you're idiots with the best of intentions."

"So…you'll apologize?"

Derek nodded slowly. "I suppose he is doing the best he can…"

Scott smiled at the unexpected victory. Derek's expression returned to the vaguely angry look that was his default. "Come with me."

:::::::::::::::::::

Derek's boots clunked heavily on the linoleum floors of the empty, sterile hallway. He entered a room without knocking. Scott couldn't hide his cringing reaction at the burned shell of a man in the wheelchair in front of them. Derek looked into his uncle's empty, expressionless eyes for a while.

"This is why the hunters are dangerous, Scott," Derek confessed. "This is why I got so angry. It's why I don't want her near them." His voice threatened to break and betray him, but he had to make his point. He needed Scott to know why he would not rest while the Argents were still active. "They already took my family from me once."

**Tell me about your feels from this chapter.**


	16. Education

**Gold stars to those who catch the cameos in this chapter. Leave me a review to receive gold star.***

***Disclaimer: There are no gold stars, except the ones in my heart.**

Darcy slept like a rock throughout the night and she didn't wake up pretty. Her mouth tasted bad, her eyes ached from crying, and there was throbbing pain in places she didn't appreciate. She just wanted to tell the sun to fuck off and go to sleep for a month or two, but the kicks of her unborn children reminded her that there was still something worth getting up for.

She shuffled to the kitchen, her mind blank except for pornographic fantasies of the cheese omelets she was going to devour. Strangely, Stiles was already awake and drinking orange juice straight from the carton. The circles under his eyes explained it. He hadn't slept that night. Maternal instinct took over and she rushed to hug him.

"Weirdo," he teased.

"Just accept my hugs, asshole," she fired back affectionately. She shoved him and started to rummage through the refrigerator. As she whisked the eggs she sighed. "We're gonna be alright."

Stiles nodded, but his reply was cut off by his father arriving with more manila folders to add to the pile on his desk. "Good morning," he said. "It is morning, right?"

The pair of cousins half-heartedly chuckled at what they were hoping was a joke. The sheriff seemed worn out. "Darcy, I managed to get your parents to sign off on guardianship. I know you've missed a lot, but you're a smart girl and you need to get back in school."

"School?" she squeaked.

:::::::::::::

The stares started the moment she stepped into the principal's office. Darcy avoided their gazes as she waited for her schedule and locker assignment. By the time the bell chimed for second period, Darcy was set. Whispers followed her down the halls and she did her best to ignore them. After everything she'd been through, it all seemed so…trivial.

Stiles appeared by her locker with a huge, goofy smile on his face. "Let me show you around."

It was endearing, how excited Stiles was to have her there with him. It was almost like he didn't notice or care that she was a social pariah before she'd even met anyone. As trivial as it had felt earlier, it didn't feel so small now. Even the teachers looked at her with judgmental eyes.

Throughout the day, Darcy fixated on the only three people who had shown her some sort of kindness. There was the tall, broad, silent boy who had retrieved her pencil for her when it rolled to the floor; a blond girl dressed in a two-sizes-too-big sweatshirt who had let Darcy cut in line at the water fountain with only a few seconds before the late bell rang; and a delicately boned boy with a bruised cheek who had patiently helped her learn to conjugate French verbs.

Lunch was a welcome relief. The novelty of Beacon Hills' first pregnant student had somewhat worn off, or at least it felt that way because Darcy didn't have to focus on what other people were doing. She was pretty sure that she made Scott's girlfriend uncomfortable at first, but Allison was friendly enough and recovered quickly. Allison's friend, Lydia, didn't seem fazed at all and, after recommending a place to get chic maternity clothes, she moved on to singing the praises of her lacrosse hero boyfriend and making jabbing remarks at Scott's abilities as an athlete.

Refreshed, Darcy faced the rest of the day without incident.

:::::::::::::

Derek glanced up at the moon as he walked to the park. He had a lot on his mind and he looked forward to being able to put that aside and focus on Darcy. The scent of fear made his stomach turn to ice. He approached with his hands held up in defeat. There was no use fighting, not now at least.

"Good boy," Kate said. She let go of Darcy's hair and pulled the stun gun away from her neck. "Sweet Allison didn't even know what she was giving away when she talked about the new girl at school." Kate laughed and the sound made Derek want to tear at flesh with his teeth. "Here I was, only expecting to get rid of werewolf breeding stock when you came along, Derek. Is this bitch your girlfriend? Bit young, don't you think?"

"Let her go," Derek said. "I'll go peacefully."

"Look at you, trying to bargain with me," Kate scoffed.

"I can make this difficult for you," Derek replied. "You won't be able to call in reinforcements. None of your family is sick enough to help you torture a pregnant teenager."

Darcy's eyes were pleading with him to find a way to save them both, but Derek knew there was only one way.

Kate pondered for a moment, and then turned to Darcy. "Go home. If you tell anyone what just happened, his blood is on your hands."


	17. Coming Undone

**I was on hiatus for a while. I know, I know. I die and come back to life more often than the Winchesters. My big foray into the big kid publishing world, while fun and educational, might not be right for me right now. Once again, I'm back to fanfiction. Why now you ask? I have an 8-page paper due Friday that I haven't even started yet and I procrastinate. I've started a new fic, both on here and AO3 under the pen name MissKitty. I'll be writing on this one and possibly my others so stay tuned.**

**As far as the story, this chapter kind of takes the events of Night School and mushes them up with the rest of season one to take us close to the finale.**

Darcy overslept on purpose in order to avoid Stiles. She wasn't sure she could see him and not tell him what had happened. Would the insane Argent woman really kill Derek? Darcy had no doubt that she absolutely would.

The school day dragged on. Darcy couldn't focus on things as trivial as chemistry or _Pride and Prejudice_, not when her mind was racing to find a way to save Derek before it was too late. If it wasn't already too late…

Deep down, she knew that the only person she could turn to was Scott. He was the only one that had any chance of tracking Derek down. She didn't want to put him in danger. Just thinking of it made her heart do flip-flops. He could be hurt or even killed if she asked him to do this for her. Stiles and her uncle could get caught in the crossfire too. There seemed to be no way out.

"Are you alright?" someone asked. Darcy hadn't even noticed that she was no longer alone in the library.

"No," she replied, honestly and miserably.

"I'm Danny," the boy said. "You must be new here."

"Darcy," she replied. "I just started here yesterday."

Danny smiled. "Do you like it here so far?"

Darcy did like it. She really loved being in Beacon Hills. She'd found so much happiness, but it was all going to hell. She realized she was crying once again and started laughing. "I'm not really like this. I usually never cry. It's just lately if I have a sad thought or a happy one or…any thought at all…"

Danny laughed along with her. "It's alright. I'd do the same if I could get away with it."

She smiled at the joke. "It's just been really hard lately."

Danny thought she was talking about her pregnancy and he gave her a knowing look. "I know its tough trying to fit in when you're different."

Darcy nodded. That was entirely too true. "It's just hard to know what the right thing to do is."

"You just have to trust yourself," he advised.

"What if I'm wrong though?"

He shrugged. "Well, if you don't try, you lose by default."

Darcy had heard that line a hundred times and a hundred different ways from several people in her life, but it still dawned on her like an epiphany. If she tried things might go wrong, but Derek was definitely going to die if she didn't do something.

"Thanks, Danny," she said quickly as she gathered her things and ran from the library.

"You're welcome?" he called after her, confusion clear in his voice.

:::::::::::::

Derek held it in for as long as he could before letting out a scream of pain. The electrical assault continued for five seconds before he was given temporary respite. Sweat was dripping down his body and his chest was heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Pathetic," Kate declared her assessment of him. "Just…just really, pathetic." She laughed cruelly. "The Derek I remember was slightly more of a man. I mean really, all it took was threatening some slut."

Derek's eyes flashed and his fangs and claws extended. He snapped futilely at her.

Kate laughed again. "Use your words." She pressed the torture device against his chest and electricity crackled through him.

"Leave her alone," he growled.

::::::::::::

Scott and Stiles were in the cafeteria, foreheads nearly pressed together as they whispered to each other.

"This is getting out of control," Scott said. "The Alpha was entirely too close to us last night. I could have killed you all!"

"But you didn't," Stiles reminded him. "You didn't and we got out alive."

"Barely…"

"Hey, at least Allison is safe."

"Yeah, and not talking to me." Scott let out a frustrated sigh. "Where's Derek? Has Darcy said anything?"

"I don't know. She didn't talk to me this morning. I don't know if she even knows about what happened last night."

:::::::::::::

"Where are we going?" Allison asked.

"You said that you felt weak after last night," Kate said. "I'm going teach you some things so that you never have to feel that way again."

Allison froze where she stood when she saw the monster before her. Shock seemed to be the only thing she could feel as her aunt started to torture the werewolf.

:::::::::::::

"Where have you been?" Stiles asked the moment he saw Darcy. He and Scott surrounded her and ushered her to the Jeep.

"I need to talk to you guys," Darcy said.

"We need to talk to you too," Scott replied. "The Alpha cornered us last night."

"Where's Derek?" Stiles interjected.

"I don't know where Derek is," Darcy said. "The Argents took him, I think. This woman kidnapped me and used me as bait to get him and now…I don't know where she went."

Stiles sighed. "Great. So the Alpha is getting more and more murder-y by the minute and we're down a wolf."

Darcy looked pleadingly at Scott. "You could find him, right?"

Scott put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I can try but I don't know."

Darcy could see how torn he was and she appreciated that he was trying. She didn't know how things would go. Between the Argents and the Alpha, there was so much that could go wrong. But they had to try at least. Even though her goofy spaz of a cousin and his struggling werewolf best friend didn't look like the most effective group, she was glad she had them.


	18. Red

Scott didn't know how he was going to get out of this one. It felt like everyone was depending on him and he didn't know how he was supposed to fix things. Things would be easier if he could just find Derek. They had their differences, but Scott knew that Derek would have a better idea of what to do.

He had no idea if Allison would talk to him again and it wasn't helping things that he wasn't allowed to go to the dance. He desperately wished he could be a normal teenager, then he would at least be able to try to get her back. Instead, she was going to the dance with Jackson, but that would do nothing to protect her

:::::::::::

"Normal teenage girl," Allison sighed to her reflection. She couldn't believe she was actually going to the dance after finding out werewolves were real. It just all seemed so trivial, but she wanted to cling to normalcy.

She stepped out and started to walk toward the school. She could already hear the music and laughter from the dance. A few feet away, Lydia was getting out of Stiles' Jeep. The redhead didn't look pleased at all, but she'd had surprisingly few date offers and Stiles was the least disgusting.

Allison didn't know what to think of Stiles and his cousin, who was now working her way out of the back seat of the Jeep. Allison had heard the rumors about Darcy and Derek. Everyone had. It was big news. Derek disappears for who knows how long and suddenly he's seen around town with a pregnant girl that no one knows anything about.

Lydia smiled and gave a small wave when she saw Allison. The brunette could see how embarrassed Lydia was to have a third wheel on her date with the guy she'd been avoiding for so long.

:::::::::::

For a moment, everything seemed right. Scott was dancing with the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He was telling her everything he'd wanted to say for so long. She pulled him by the arm outside, kissing him playfully. She climbed onto the bus and beckoned for him.

Headlights surrounded him, two large vehicles were speeding for him. Before he could control himself, he leapt in the air. He looked at the girl he loved and saw fear in her eyes. She thought he was a monster.

Scott ran until he felt like he couldn't anymore, but he kept going until he was deep in the woods. He was screaming out his frustrations when suddenly he heard a howl.

::::::::::::

Darcy sat alone, watching her cousin dance with Lydia. She knew this was probably one of the greatest moments of his high school life and she was happy for him. She wondered if Derek would have come to the dance with her, but the idea of him standing in a high school gym wearing a suit made her laugh.

Stiles slumped down in the chair next to her. "Well…" he sighed.

"What happened?" Darcy asked.

"She went after her ex."

"And you let her go?"

Stiles closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't have a chance with her. I love this girl, Darcy. I really do but she's never going to give me a chance."

"Go after her, Stiles."

"But, Jackson—"

"Just go."

:::::::::::

Stiles found Lydia, but not in time to protect her from Derek Hale's deranged uncle. "Please, just don't kill her," he begged. "Don't kill her."

The Alpha smirked at Stiles, but then looked distracted, as if he'd heard something. He snickered. "Of course it would all come full circle."

It took Stiles a moment to puzzle things out, but he was sure he had an idea of where the Alpha was going. He called Jackson and demanded that the other teen help Lydia. Stiles wished he could be her knight in shining armor and save the day, but he knew Scott was going to need his help.

Stiles rushed back to the dance and grabbed Darcy's arm. They fought their way through the hysterical crowd and made it to the Jeep.

"Wasn't that her?" Darcy asked quietly. "Did the Alpha attack her? Stiles, if she was bitten she might turn and we need to be there to keep her from hurting anyone."

Stiles nodded, relieved that his cousin had given him a logical reason to be by Lydia's side. They arrived at the hospital as quickly as they could and rushed to the elevator. Stiles ran ahead of Darcy, pressing his face to the glass window of the room Lydia was in. She was unconscious, surrounded by doctors.

Stiles saw Jackson and grabbed blindly at his shirt. "How is she?" Stiles demanded.

"She's in shock. What's going on, Stilinski? I know there haven't been any animal attacks. Tell me, right now."

Darcy pulled Stiles away from Jackson. "She doesn't look dangerous right now. We need to get out of here. The police are here and I think I saw hunters."

"What's going on?" Jackson demanded.

"We need to find Derek and Scott," Darcy said, ignoring Jackson.

"I think I have an idea of where they might be," Stiles said. "I could be wrong."

"If you don't tell me what's going on right now, I'm going to tell the police that you two are up to something," Jackson threatened.

Darcy sighed, finally acknowledging Jackson's presence. "What are we gonna do about this one?"

"Did you bring the Porsche?" Stiles asked.

"Yes," Jackson sneered, holding up his keys.

"I'm driving then," Stiles said, snatching the keys away.

"Come on," Darcy said. "We need to stop at the house first. We're not going into this unarmed."

:::::::::::

"Are you OK?" Scott asked.

"Quiet," Derek mumbled.

"They're gone for now, I think. I don't know how much time we have."

"It's not safe."

"Yeah, I know it's not," Scott said, looking around for a key to release Derek from his shackles.

"No, I mean for Darcy. The Argents know about her."

"We already took care of that," Scott said, proudly explaining their plan. "She's at the school dance. The Argents won't do anything with so many witnesses."

Derek was too tired to find fault in Scott's argument. Finally, the teenager found the key. His hands were shaking as he released one of Derek's arms.

"I'm not letting you go until you promise to help me," Scott said. "You have to help me protect Allison."

Derek sighed and jerked his other arm free. "I'll help you."

:::::::::::

"Do you even know how to use that thing?" Jackson asked from the back seat.

Darcy sighed and finished loading the pistol. "Of course I know how to use it."

"You two are freaks. You seriously think we're going to kill a werewolf?" Jackson continued.

"He's really annoying," Darcy said. "Does he realize how annoying he is?"

Stiles just shrugged, pressing the gas pedal down harder as they went off-road toward the Hale house.

"This isn't an all-terrain vehicle!" Jackson snapped.

Darcy turned around, holding the pistol threateningly. "Listen, rich boy. We're up against ridiculously stupid odds, going to kill an Alpha werewolf that could easily tear our throats out with his teeth. More people could die tonight, do you understand that?"

Stiles laughed. "OK, Darcy. Save some of that rage for the Alpha."

"Sorry," Darcy muttered. "Are you sure that the Molotov cocktails are going to work?"

"For our sake, they better," Stiles said.

:::::::::::

Scott fought desperately against the Alpha. Allison was so close by, still distraught about witnessing the murder of her aunt and Derek was down for the count somewhere. Things didn't look good. Relief washed over him when he heard the sound of a car horn. Darcy stumbled out of the passenger seat and shot at the Alpha, hitting the beast in the leg. However, that wasn't enough of a distraction to keep the Alpha from catching the beaker Stiles hurled his way.

Scott tossed Allison's bow, desperate to give her some way to defend herself because the Alpha had turned on her. She fired an arrow and it sunk into the monster's chest, giving Darcy time to fire a round at the explosive beaker. The Alpha's arm blazed and Jackson threw the second beaker.

The Alpha let out a wounded, angry cry and stumbled away. Scott rushed to Allison's side to make sure she was alright.

::::::::::

Darcy was relieved to see Derek walk out of the house. He looked a little worn, but he was alive and that's all she could ask for. She went toward him, but he held up a hand to stop her as he went to the charred body of the Alpha.

"Derek, no!" Scott shouted.

Derek's claws had extended and he slashed down across his uncle's throat. Darcy watched in horror as the life twitched out of the burned body. Derek turned, his eyes a terrifying red. "I'm the Alpha now," Derek said, his voice low and frightening. She backed away in fear.

:::::::::

Derek turned to Darcy and she backed away. That hurt enough to stop him from reveling in his new power. Didn't she understand that he had done this for her and her unborn children? He was powerful now, powerful enough to be able to protect her from any threat.

"Derek?" she whispered.

"It's alright," he said. He took the gun from her shaking hands and set it on the ground before wrapping his arms around her. "I'm not going to hurt you."


	19. Threat

Derek returned to his family's abandoned home once Darcy was safely asleep in her bed. He wasn't surprised that Jackson was there waiting for him, ready to make demands. Derek didn't particularly like Jackson and the last thing he wanted to do was help the spoiled teen get what he wanted, but Derek was the Alpha now. He needed to build a pack quickly.

"I helped you," Jackson nearly shouted. "Give me what I want."

Derek smiled and called the Alpha wolf forward. He made no effort to be gentle as he gave Jackson the bite. The teen let out a sound that was half pain, half victory. He stumbled out of the house, not caring to stick around now that he had what he wanted. Derek laughed as he heard a splash. Jackson had successfully fallen in the creek.

::::::::::::

It had been a few days since Peter Hale had been killed and Darcy didn't know how she was managing to get through the day. She still felt like a nervous wreck, but she was relieved to know that it was over. At least now she could focus on school and preparing for the babies to be born. It was nice to feel normal and instead of worrying about getting killed by a deranged werewolf, she was worrying that she'd picked the wrong name for her son. Who knew that flipping through a baby name book like a mad woman would actually be soothing?

Stiles was still at the hospital, holding vigil outside Lydia's door. Darcy hoped that the girl would either return her cousin's devotion or put him out of his misery. Either way, Darcy just hoped that the girl would survive. Enough lives had been lost already.

There was a knock on her bedroom door and Darcy hoped that it would be Derek, but instead it was an extremely distraught Stiles.

"Lydia's missing," he finally managed to explain.

Darcy took Stiles phone and sent a text to Scott and within fifteen minutes, they were all in the Jeep at the hospital. Allison arrived and insisted on going as well. It was a bit awkward when Allison climbed into the backseat. The girl couldn't seem to look Darcy in the eye and it was clear she was aware of everything her family had put Darcy through.

"We'll find her first, don't worry," Darcy said in her best reassuring voice, hoping that Allison got the hint that there were no hard feelings.

Allison smiled and the girls turned their attention to Scott, who now had his head out the window.

"Are we sure this will work?" Allison asked.

"Looks slightly ridiculous to me," Darcy added.

"Wait, I can actually smell her," Scott said and Darcy was sure he was just as surprised as they were. "Turn here."

Stiles quickly obeyed and soon they were at the edge of the forest. They got out of the Jeep and moved through the thick underbrush on foot. Soon they were coming up on the back of the decrepit Hale house.

"Why would Lydia come here?" Allison asked.

"I don't know," Scott said with a shrug. "This is where the trail leads."

"Maybe if she's turning, she'd be seeking out an Alpha. You know, maybe it's an instinct to be part of a pack," Allison suggested.

They all glanced to Darcy as if she would know given her relationship with Derek. She held her hands up to show her innocence. "I don't get it either."

"Look at this," Stiles said. There was a metallic snap and suddenly Scott was suspended in the air by his feet.

"Dude, next time you see a trip wire. Don't trip it," Scott joked. Then suddenly he was alert. "Hide!"

"What about you?" Allison asked.

"Just, hide!" Scott urged.

Stiles darted into a thick bunch of trees. Darcy struggled to make her way to the same place. Allison grabbed her arm and helped her along. They barely managed to get under cover when a group of hunters appeared. With their hands pressed over their mouths, they waited as Scott and Allison's father exchanged words.

:::::::::::

Derek tracked the omega wolf through the town. He was positive that the interloper wasn't a threat, but he just wanted to be sure. The scent led him to the cemetery and he saw that the omega had already caused some chaos. A piece of heavy machinery was tipped over and the omega was tearing at an unearthed corpse.

Derek's eyes flashed red and he chased the omega away, letting the new werewolf in town know that this was his territory. He heard the slightest whimpering sound coming from beneath the overturned machine and he quickly moved to free the person trapped in the grave below. The teenager looked up at him and cowered into the grave.

Derek felt bad for the kid. The smell of fear was overwhelming and he could see the kid had a black eye. Maybe it was Darcy's effect on him, but he felt sympathy. He wanted to help the poor kid out. The fact that it might benefit him as well was just a bonus.

"Need some help?" he asked.

The kid was still in a state of panic. "How did you do that?" he shouted.

Derek knelt down and held out his hand to help the kid climb out of the ground. "I'm Derek," he said.

"Isaac," the teen introduced himself as he stumbled out of the grave.

"You look scared. What happened?"

"I was just working and…I don't know how any of this is happening. How did you move that by yourself?"

"I'm strong," Derek explained with a shrug.

"No one could be that strong," Isaac said skeptically.

"You'd be surprised," Derek replied. "What happened to your eye?"

Isaac winced and brought his hand up to cover the bruise. "It's nothing."

The smell of fear intensified and Derek saw an opportunity. It was clear that someone was abusing Isaac and Derek was sure that the kid felt powerless to stop it. Derek knew he could help. "What if I told you that I could help you become as strong as me?"

"I don't know," Isaac said uncertainly.

"You wouldn't have to do much," Derek said. "All I need is for you to agree to be loyal to me and I can help you. You won't be walking around with bruises anymore. In fact, you'll be able to heal." Derek let his claws extend and drew one across the palm of his hand to demonstrate.

Isaac's eyes grew to the size of saucers when the wound stitched together. "That's impossible."

Derek laughed. "You're gonna have to stop saying that because it is possible, Isaac. I can give you the same powers I have."

Isaac shook his head, still trying to process. "What do you mean I'd have to be loyal to you?"

"I'm a werewolf," Derek said. "An Alpha, actually. If you know anything about wolves, you know that they travel in packs. Well…I need a pack."

Isaac looked down at the desecrated grave where the pitiful omega had been feasting. "Would I be like that?" he asked.

"No," Derek said. "That was an omega, a lone wolf. You would be part of my pack, a beta. All I need is your loyalty and you'll be faster, stronger, better than ever before."

Derek watched the conflict play out in Isaac's eyes before finally the teen said, "What do I have to do?"

Derek's eyes flashed and his fangs descended. "It'll only hurt for a minute," he promised.

::::::::::::

Darcy had barely gotten a few hours a sleep when suddenly Stiles was in her face. "There was a grave robbery last night," he said excitedly.

Darcy mumbled and tried to pull the covers over her head. Her alarm clock went off and she groaned, "Stiles, I'm gonna kill you."

"What if it was Lydia?" Stiles asked. "Do you think she would do that? Maybe it's a werewolf thing?"

"I don't know," Darcy grumbled. "Leave me alone."

"Fine, but I'm leaving for school in an hour whether you're awake or not."

The idea of skipping school as very enticing, but Darcy managed to talk herself out of it. She couldn't afford to miss a day. She had to graduate, even if it killed her. She quickly showered, brushed her hair, and pulled it into a ponytail while it was still wet. She didn't care to impress anyone. She brushed her teeth quickly and went to her room, pulling on some jeans with an oh-so-attractive stretchy waistband and a shirt she was 85% sure was clean.

Darcy was about as ready as she was going to be, but she still didn't feel awake. She grabbed one of the blueberry muffins she'd made the previous day and hoped that food would help her wake up. It was going to be a long day.

::::::::::::

Derek was slightly concerned as he left the school. He honestly didn't know why Jackson seemed to be rejecting the bite. As much as he somewhat believed Jackson deserved to be leaking black goo, it was still disconcerting not to know exactly why it was happening.

It had been an unpleasant detour and Derek quickly got back to the reason he'd come to the school. He easily tracked Darcy's scent to her locker and pressed his ear to it as he listened for the clicks to unlock it. Once inside, he smiled for no reason other than it was good to think of her. He left a single rose, closed the door, and left.

::::::::::::

Darcy smiled at the rose and brought it close to smell the sweet fragrance. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all. At least for her. Allison was just down the hall, bracing herself against the cruel whispers of people who didn't really know what they were talking about. She pulled out the dress she was going to wear for her aunt's funeral and slammed the locker closed.

Darcy rushed at full speed to make sure the other girl was alright. Admittedly, she wasn't very fast, but she managed to catch up to Allison. She gently squeezed Allison's arm and without a word walked beside her until Scott arrived. Darcy knew she was no longer needed and she left the couple to their private moment.

:::::::::::::

Stiles could sense that his father was exasperated with him, but when he'd overheard that a man in an ambulance had been attacked he couldn't help but investigate. After all, it was better than creeping around the cemetery at the funeral of a highly unstable woman.

Everything stopped when Lydia appeared. At first he was so relieved she was alive that he didn't register that she was naked and shivering.

:::::::::::::

Derek grabbed Scott just in time. The hunters arrived shortly after and Derek clamped a hand over Scott's mouth to stifle any noise. The omega died violently at the hands of the Argents. Derek hated to traumatize Scott that way, but he had to make the beta see that the Argents were extremely bad news.

::::::::::::::

Isaac ran desperately to the only place he knew to find Derek. Things had gone from bad to worse and he was at a loss. The only thing that mattered now was that his dad was dead. He was relieved to see the flashing of red eyes as Derek stepped forward and he explained everything.

"It wasn't me," Isaac repeated, over and over.

"Alright, I understand," Derek said. "Try to keep things as normal as possible. I'll figure it out. Don't worry."

::::::::::::::

"Why is Derek changing people?" Scott demanded.

Darcy was put off by his harsh tone. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Isaac is a werewolf!" Scott said.

Darcy shook her head. "Scott, I really have no idea what's going on."

Scott sighed. "The police just took him away. They think he murdered his dad."

Darcy was still confused, but Scott was on the move. She rushed after him, wanting more of an explanation. They burst through the front door of the school just as Derek drove up. Scott immediately started demanding answers from Derek, but he insisted that they come with him.

Darcy kept glancing at Derek during the drive, trying to catch his eye as if that would explain everything. He stopped in front of a slightly run down house and led them inside. He took Darcy's hand and finally looked at her. His lips brushed against her forehead and he took them down to the basement.

Scott was confused for a moment when Derek gestured to the freezer with a rusted lock attached. Scott lifted the lid and Darcy gasped at the desperate claw marks on the sides. Some of the marks were stained with blood and the idea of Isaac locked in there made Darcy sick to her stomach. "Poor thing."

"I thought I was helping him," Derek murmured to Darcy.

"He's in prison now and it's the full moon," Scott said.

"I'm aware of that," Derek snapped.

"What are we gonna do?!" Scott demanded.

Darcy's phone chirped and she read the text that Stiles had sent her. "Uh, hate to be the bearer of bad news but Stiles and Allison are pretty sure that the Argents are going after Isaac."

"Derek, you have to do something," Scott said. "This is your fault."

Derek let out a low growl at Scott, but Darcy intervened. "Please help him," she said softly.

Derek looked from her to Scott. "What about you?" he asked.

"I'd just get in the way," Darcy said. "Please, just go. I'll stay here and help Scott."

Derek gave Scott one last threatening look, before heading out to his car. He hoped that he could take care of this situation quickly, before Scott completely gave in to the full moon.

::::::::::::

Derek's patience was wearing thin. The full moon was definitely not the best time for him to be around Stiles and if it weren't for the fact that he was Darcy's family, Derek would have already punched him. Time was running out though, and they needed to get moving. Derek distracted the woman at the front desk while Stiles attempted to get to Isaac. However, things didn't go well. The fire alarm buzzed and Derek sighed as he rendered the deputy unconscious.

He rushed toward the source of the commotion in time to stop Isaac from murdering Stiles. Derek was glad that Isaac was safe, but there were bigger problems. If Isaac was losing it already, Scott would be as well.

::::::::::::

Darcy breathed a sigh of relief when Allison arrived to help. Scott insisted that he needed to be locked up and the only available option was the freezer where Isaac had been tortured. Darcy didn't like the idea and Allison liked it even less, but it was all that they had.

Darcy headed up the stairs to give Allison and Scott a bit of privacy. After a few minutes, Allison joined her. Shortly after, they heard a wet, slithering noise. Darcy gasped. They weren't alone in the house. Allison grabbed a knife from the kitchen and prepared to fight the thing as it approached them.

The creature was reptilian and terrifying. Its scales glinted a bit in the moonlight coming through the windows and it hissed at them. It skittered across the ceiling and was close enough to kill them, but for some reason it didn't.

There was a crash as Scott broke himself free and he leapt toward the creature to defend Allison and Darcy. Strangely, the monster ran from the house.

"What was that?" Darcy asked, but neither of her friends knew.

:::::::::::::

Derek could sense that Darcy was tired, but she still insisted on seeing for herself that Isaac was alright. It frustrated him because he knew she needed to rest, but he was still proud of her. She was everything an Alpha's mate should be and she was already concerned about the pack.

Isaac was sleeping on the floor of one of the rusted subway cars. Darcy peered through the window as if to be sure he was in one piece. "I'm glad he's alright," she said.

Derek nodded, but didn't comment.

"Derek, please be careful," she said. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

It was an admirable wish, but Derek knew it wasn't possible. There was a new beast in town and people were going to get hurt. Derek's only option was to continue to build his pack's strength to be sure that the next victim wouldn't be Darcy or anyone she cared about.


	20. Discord

Darcy arrived at the abandoned subway station the next night with as many of Isaac's belongings as she'd been able to steal away from his house, which was still a crime scene, as well as a whole bakery's worth of cookies. "Exactly how much did you bake?" Derek asked as he finished carrying everything in.

"That poor child lost his father and became a fugitive. He needs food."

Derek raised an eyebrow at her, but she'd already moved on to harassing Isaac into accepting at least one of the chocolate chip cookies. Isaac looked at her uncertainly before taking a small bite. He smiled to himself, but once again Darcy was on the move, folding the clothes she'd brought.

"If this is where you guys are gonna stay, we should really clean it up," Darcy said as she worked. "Seriously, did you even sweep at all? There are newspapers everywhere and it smells like a homeless man in here."

She babbled on and on about salvaging furniture and creating the comforts of home. It reminded Derek of his mother, how she'd always kept the house absolutely perfect when he was a child. Everything was clean and comfortable; everyone was well fed and happy. Derek was happy to see those traits in Darcy. Though she didn't know it, her obsession with creating a home and taking care of everyone was showing that she had the instincts to be the alpha female of the pack.

Derek returned his attention to Darcy and Isaac. The new wolf seemed completely overwhelmed and unsure of how to react to her. Derek couldn't blame him.

"You're about six foot two, right?" Darcy asked. "Is blue fleece alright or do you want a different color? You can eat more if you want to. I'm leaving all of that here. Did you try the peanut butter ones?" Her last question was shouted over her shoulder, as Derek had started to lead her away. "What? I'm nesting, damn it."

"I know," Derek said. "I happen to like it. A lot." He nuzzled against her neck as he opened to door to the subway car he'd claimed for himself.

"Oh," she squeaked in understanding.

:::::::::::::

Darcy tried not to daydream during class, but her mind kept drifting back to her alone time with Derek. That would definitely be distracting her for days to come. She had to keep her mind out of the gutter during lunch though, because her cousin and Scott were excitedly telling her about what had happened during gym class.

Stiles got up in the middle of the story to go talk to a man about keys to the ice rink, but Scott continued. "It's like I could just feel that something was wrong."

"That's really great, Scott," Darcy said sincerely.

"Is this just a werewolf thing? Has Derek ever said anything about it?" Scott asked.

"We don't really talk about that kind of stuff," she replied. "But, it makes sense. Werewolves do seem to share some traits with regular wolves and there are seizure dogs so maybe it's a canine thing."

Stiles returned, grumbling about how Boyd had changed the price on him.

"You got the keys though, right?" Scott asked.

"Of course I got them," Stiles said.

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Darcy?" Scott offered once again.

"Definitely sure," Darcy said. "I appreciate the gesture, but I'll just waddle along happily on solid ground."

Their conversation was interrupted when the attention of the entire cafeteria was directed toward one student who had just entered.

"Is that Erica?" Stiles muttered in disbelief.

Darcy shook her head when she realized that her eyes had to be the size of dinner plates.

"Did you know about this?" Scott asked.

"No," Darcy snapped.

The rest of her day was spent with petty insecurity and jealous rage alternating with berating herself for being that type of girl. She didn't think of herself as a jealous person. She definitely didn't want to be. But how was she supposed to react?

Rationally, she knows that Derek is building a pack. She'd spent her spare time researching wolf behavior and it was basic knowledge that there was power in numbers. That was especially important now. There was a new monster on the loose. Argents were appearing out of nowhere. One of them had even taken over as principal.

Still, Darcy highly resented the fact that Derek had selected a hot young blonde to join his pack.

:::::::::::::

Erica was still on an adrenaline high from her big debut at school. Now she understood why Lydia Martin acted the way she did. It felt good to be noticed.

Derek parked his sleek, sexy muscle car in a desolate parking lot. It looked completely out of place. Erica wrinkled her nose at her surroundings as Derek led the way down the stairs into the abandoned subway station. It wasn't as bad as she had expected it to be. Most of the trash had been consolidated to one corner and there was a pleasant smell of baked goods.

"Huh, looks like the dark side really does have cookies," Erica joked.

Isaac smiled at her comment, but he looked timidly up at Derek like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to laugh. "They're really good actually," Isaac said, still looking toward Derek for some sign of approval.

"Where did they even come from?" Erica asked.

"My mate," Derek said.

Erica felt let down for a moment. Admittedly, she had hoped that Derek had chosen her for a reason. The disappointment didn't last long. She knew that now she could have literally any guy she wanted. She glanced at Isaac with fleeting interest but she already knew who she was hoping would notice her.

::::::::::::::

Darcy couldn't believe how nervous she was. She didn't know where her head was anymore. She'd already determined that she had absolutely no reason to be jealous. Still, she just wanted to see Derek, just to be sure. She parked her rental car and locked the doors once she'd grabbed the picnic basket out of the trunk. Food seemed like a good enough excuse to visit and Stiles had forbidden her from cooking the good stuff in interest of the sheriff's health.

Isaac must have smelled the food because he was there waiting when she came down the stairs. "I can help you with that," he said eagerly.

Darcy smiled and let Isaac carry off the basket. She'd made it with him in mind, using a lot of her grandmother's recipes. It was nothing but comfort foods with rich flavor. It was the type of stuff that made her miss home, but she'd made it for him because she had nightmares about the freezer from just seeing the scratches on the inside. She couldn't imagine being the one that was locked in there. Somehow, she was going to make things right for him.

Derek arrived and quickly moved to hug her. He had that goofy grin on his face, the one that Darcy was sure he would stop immediately if he was aware of it. She knew how much it meant to him that she had a vested interest in taking care of his pack and she loved that she had the ability to do that. She immediately felt better and her moments of insecurity faded away.

"Where's Erica?" Darcy asked. She wanted to at least talk to the girl that she'd sort of disliked unfairly.

"At home," Isaac answered between bites.

"I figured she'd be here. Is it really safe to have a baby wolf out and about?" Darcy asked.

"There shouldn't be any danger right now," Derek replied.

"I'll keep an eye on her at school," Darcy said. "I just don't want anything to happen."

Derek put an arm around Darcy and they started to walk next to the track that hadn't been used in years. He rested his hand on the roundness of her belly, rubbing small circles as they ambled along at a leisurely pace.

"So, do you wanna tell me why you're changing people into werewolves?" Darcy asked.

"I need a pack, Darcy," Derek said. "We both do. The babies will when they're born."

"I just hope you're thinking it through," Darcy replied.

"Why do you say that?" Derek asked.

He seemed a little hurt and Darcy felt bad, but she had to speak her mind. "I just wonder why you're choosing the people you're choosing."

"Do you not think I'm capable of running my own pack?"

"No, that's not what I said. I didn't come here to fight with you Derek. I'm just nervous. Gerard Argent is the principal at the school now. If he finds out about Erica, she could get hurt. Isaac's already been in danger."

"I can handle it," Derek insisted.

"Is it worth risking though?" Darcy asked.

"What should I do then?" Derek snapped. "I need a pack! The Argents are bringing in more and more hunters. There's something we know nothing about out there killing people. Not to mention other Alphas take notice when someone comes in to power. There's danger out there, Darcy. I'm trying to protect you."

"Just be careful and make sure you look out for yourself while you're busy protecting me, alright?" Darcy stood on tip toes to kiss a stubble covered cheek.

Derek wrapped his arms around her as if to apologize for being impatient with her. "I have to trust my instincts."

::::::::::::::

It wasn't all that unusual for Scott to show up on a Saturday morning, but for some reason Darcy felt like things were off. Stiles and Scott kept exchanging looks and it was starting to make her nervous. They didn't say anything until after lunch, when the sheriff left for his shift.

"What is Derek's deal?" Scott asked.

"What happened?" Darcy was almost afraid to find out. She and Derek had come so close to fighting the night before and she didn't like it at all.

"Boyd is in his pack now. I tried to stop him but I was too late. He had Erica and Isaac attack me. I held them off and then he beat the crap out of me."

"Yeah, and," Stiles chimed in, "Erica gave me some serious head damage with a part of my Jeep that she ripped out. Which I have to have fixed, by the way."

Darcy was at a loss for words. "I don't know…"

"Is he on some sort of power trip?" Stiles ranted. "He's just running around biting people like he's the werewolf Oprah. Lycanthropy for everyone!"

"He said he needs to build his pack," Darcy said. "That's really all he's told me. He said it's for protection."

"Well, right now it really seems like he's the one causing the freakin' trouble," Stiles grumbled.

Darcy desperately wanted to defend Derek. She knew he wasn't trying to hurt anyone. At least she hoped so. She had faith in him, she just couldn't make her cousin and his best friend see why.

**Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?**


	21. Paralyzer

**Short chapter because I'm a bit brain dead. End of the semester. So many things I've procrastinated on. Still procrastinating. Ugh.**

"Are you sure you're alright?" Darcy asked again. She was holding her cell phone tightly, wishing she was with her cousin.

"I'm fine," Stiles promised. "I…I closed my eyes so I didn't see him actually, y'know…"

"I'm going to see Derek right now," Darcy said. "Maybe I can get him to explain what's going on."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Stiles responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Stiles, he'll want to help."

"Are you sure about that? Look, your boyfriend is kind of a grade A jerk lately."

"He is not," Darcy argued. "Just because you don't understand why he does what he does—"

"Do you even understand that?" Stiles interrupted.

"No, but I trust him."

"Well, I don't."

"Will you at least trust me?"

Stiles was silent for a moment. "Just be careful."

:::::::::::

Darcy arrived at precisely the wrong moment. The wolves hadn't noticed that she'd arrived over the sound of Isaac's pained cry as Derek twisted his arm.

"What the fuck?" she shouted, cutting off Derek's words.

The pack looked at her and then back to the Alpha. Darcy grabbed Derek by the front of the shirt and pulled him away. "What was that?" she hissed.

"I'm training them, Darcy. They need to know how to fight."

"So you break Isaac's arm?"

"It'll heal."

"That's not the point! The child was ritualistically abused by his father. Do you really think it's a cool idea to intentionally break his bones to teach him a lesson?"

Derek clenched his jaw. "It's part of the pack dynamics. You wouldn't understand."

"Bullshit!" Darcy was loud enough that she was sure the betas could hear everything she said.

"Would you just listen to me? I'm trying to get them ready. Do you have any idea what we could be up against?"

"Yeah, actually. Stiles saw it kill someone today."

"Then you see why I have to be tough on them?"

Darcy shook her head. "No. There's no excuse."

"We're all in danger! Isaac understands that. He knows that I have to do whatever it takes to prepare them." Derek's eyes flashed red for a split second. "It's not my fault if you can't understand that."

Darcy let out a huff and shook her head. "We're done here." She turned to leave and Derek quickly chased after her, easily blocking the way.

"Darcy, please…"

"I can't." She moved past him again and left. This time, he didn't try to stop her.

:::::::::::

Derek watched her leave. His wolf was going crazy, howling for her to come back and itching to chase after her. Derek knew that it wasn't a good idea. He tried to rationalize that she just needed time to cool off, but there was still a sinking feeling of fear in the pit of his stomach. He returned to his betas, but couldn't bring himself to look at them.

"Boyd, Erica, go home," he ordered.

The two of them left wordlessly and Derek turned to face Isaac. The beta flinched, but tried to hide it.

"You alright?" Derek asked.

Isaac nodded, but his heart rate betrayed the lie.

Derek sighed and went back to his room. He'd really managed to mess things up.

:::::::::::

Stiles had saved a witty remark for when Darcy got home, but when he saw the look on her face, he held it back. She looked shocked and confused. Her eyes were red and puffy.

"Don't ask," she whispered.

"Should I go get some ice cream?" Stiles offered.

She cracked a smile. "Oh, yeah. Definitely."

::::::::::

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Allison asked. "We could use your help."

Darcy shook her head. "I don't know that it would be the best idea. I know I'm not priority number one right now, but the hunters still know about me. I could end up being more of a liability than anything, especially if they decide to use me to get to Derek."

Allison felt a little guilty. "Yeah, good call. I was told to keep an eye on you," she admitted. "I don't think they're going to try anything yet, but they already know that you're the way to get to Derek."

"Yeah," Darcy sighed. She looked sad for a moment, but then perked up. "I'll just stay here and do some research. I know Stiles usually does that, but I could give it a try."

Allison nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."

:::::::::::

"I'm really, really starting to re-evaluate my life choices," Stiles complained. His body was aching, threatening to betray him as he continued to tread water. He only hoped that Derek would regain control of his body before both of them drowned.

"Shut up, Stiles," Derek grumbled.

"You know, I should just let you sink," Stiles threatened.

"You won't do that. You need me. I'm the only one that can fight that thing."

Stiles sighed. "Yeah, well don't push me because right now you're the one that needs me. I could hold you under for a while without killing you if I wanted to."

Derek made a sound suspiciously like a growl, but didn't do anything further. Stiles tried not to get too drunk with power, but it was pretty nice being the one in charge.

"So, what did you do to my cousin?" Stiles asked.

"This is not the time to talk about it," Derek replied, but instead of sounding angry he just sounded hurt.

"I told you not to hurt her," Stiles said. "She seems pretty freaking hurt."

"I know that," Derek snapped.

"Explain," Stiles said. "Or we could see how long you can hold your breath."

Derek sighed. "It was just some stupid fight."

"Well, I figured that much," Stiles replied. "She won't tell me what it was about."

"Maybe because it's none of your business."

Stiles let Derek slip just a little bit, before pulling him up out of the water again. The Alpha spat out water and huffed indignantly. Stiles knew he was going to pay for that later. "Well?"

"She doesn't like how I handle my betas," Derek mumbled.

"Alright, now we're getting somewhere. So when are you going to apologize?"

"I shouldn't have to."

Stiles laughed. "This is Darcy we're talking about. You definitely have to."

::::::::::

"What?" Darcy stared at her cousin, who was dripping water all over the place.

"Don't ask," Stiles said, shivering slightly.

Darcy held back laughter. "Did you get it?"

"Yeah," Stiles called over his shoulder as he went to the bathroom to dry off. "We're after something called a Kanima."

"Kanima?" Darcy repeated.

"That's what Derek called it."

Darcy leaned against the wall outside the door. "Is Derek OK?"

She could practically hear Stiles rolling his eyes and looking exasperated. "You two lovebirds are just as bad as Scott and Allison."

"Stiles…"

"He's fine," Stiles replied.

"Thank you," Darcy said. She left her cousin to finish drying off.

Darcy microwaved some leftovers. She wasn't really hungry, but she needed to eat. She sighed and picked at the chicken spaghetti in front of her. It had been a few days and she and Derek hadn't talked. She definitely didn't regret the things she'd said, but she still missed him.


	22. Unity

**Hello, all! As stated in one of my other fics, it's been hard for me to find time to write lately because a medication I'm on makes me feel kind of yucky in general (nausea, headache, tired). I'm gonna keep trying though, and I'd greatly appreciate some of that super feedback mojo that motivates me.**

Darcy was switching out books at her locker when suddenly Erica and Isaac were on either side of her. Erica shut her locker door and they each grabbed her arms. "Excuse you?" she protested as they pulled her along, finally stopping in the library. Isaac pulled out a chair at one of the tables and then he and Erica sat at the other side. Darcy huffed and sat down. She crossed her arms, glaring at them.

Isaac's façade of arrogance broke a little under her gaze. He moved uncomfortably in his chair. Erica glanced at him with casual mockery and then said, "Poor Isaac doesn't like that Mom and Dad are fighting."

Darcy saw Erica jump when Isaac kicked her under the table, but the look in his eyes made Darcy think that there may have been some truth to Erica's joke. She felt a twinge of sympathy. "It's not your fault, Isaac." He looked down, his face unreadable. "Did Derek send you?"

Erica shrugged. "We were told to make sure you were alright."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Did you have to be so dramatic about it?"

They both made a point of not looking at her face. She eyed them suspiciously. "Friggin' werewolves," she muttered as she got up and left, accidentally bumping into a boy carrying a camera bag. She mumbled an apology as she searched the school for Scott. She didn't know what was going on, but she was very suspicious.

As it turned out, Scott was the one that found her. "Darcy, we have to do something," he said. "It's Derek…" Scott stopped and looked at her uncertainly.

"Go on," she said, doing her best to sound strong. "I'm fine."

"He thinks Lydia is the Kanima," Scott explained. "He's going to try to kill her."

Darcy sighed. "Well, we have to stop him."

Scott sighed. "I don't think we can. He's stronger than me and he has Boyd, Erica, and Isaac."

"Then we'll stall him until we come up with something," Darcy said.

Scott nodded. "Allison can help. She's pretty bad ass." He broke into a love-struck, lopsided grin.

Darcy laughed. "Alright, Romeo. Get the dream team together and let's do this."

:::::::::

Derek's pack stood across the street, just watching the McCall house. "What are they doing?" Allison asked, frustration in her voice.

"Maybe I should go out there and try to talk to them," Darcy said.

Allison shook her head. "They might use you as leverage."

Darcy didn't believe Derek would do that, but she stayed silent.

Stiles piped up with the next suggestion. "Just…shoot one of them."

Allison looked out the window and then at the compact pistol crossbow in her hands. "Which one?"

"Uh…how about Derek?" Stiles suggested with an evil grin.

Darcy rolled her eyes and returned to the window. "Uh, guys, where's Isaac?"

The werewolf in question appeared in the living room, knocking over a coffee table as he cornered them.

"Allison, Lydia," Darcy whispered.

Allison started to rush toward the stairs and Isaac's eyes followed her. Stiles threw himself at the werewolf, easily being tossed aside. Darcy moved as quickly as she could, which admittedly wasn't very fast. She blocked Isaac's path to the stairs.

Isaac let out a frustrated whine. "Move!"

"No," Darcy said. "I know Derek told you not to hurt me and I know you don't want to anyway. Well, you're not getting to Lydia unless you go through me." She planted her feet. This was either the bravest or the stupidest thing she'd ever done.

::::::::::

Allison mentally apologized as she locked Lydia into the bathroom. It was the most logical thing to do. She had to keep her friend out of the line of fire. She looked around the room and saw a pile of goo on the window sill. There were crashes downstairs and Allison hoped that Darcy and Stiles were alright, but she didn't have much time to worry. In a last minute act of resourcefulness, she coated the tip of the bolt in her crossbow and turned just as Erica appeared in the doorway.

"You know, you and Scott won't last," Erica purred. "After this is over, I can work on stealing him from you. I mean, honestly, look at you."

Allison took aim and her finger danced over the trigger. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Your family is nuts. They're going to try to kill him. How long do you think he's going to stick around? He'll be with me in less than a month."

There was a whine as the bolt left the crossbow and sailed toward Erica. The werewolf easily caught it and laughed. "Did you really think that would work?" she mocked.

Allison smiled as Erica started to realize that she was going numb. "Yeah, I did."

:::::::::

Scott easily took Isaac down, but Darcy suspected that Isaac hadn't really put up much of a fight. They lugged the two incapacitated betas outside and stood shoulder to shoulder, watching for Derek's next move. Darcy nearly broke down when she saw Derek. His facial expression didn't change but the pain in his eyes made her want to run to him.

"Derek, we won't let you do this!" Scott said.

Before Derek could respond, there was a crash from the upstairs window and a reptilian monster darted across the roof of the house. It turned and hissed at them before disappearing into the night.

"We could have ended it tonight," Derek snapped.

Moments later, Lydia ran outside. She was practically hysterical. "Does anyone want to tell me what's going on?"

Allison rushed to her best friend, putting her arm around the girl and pulling her away from the group.

Derek looked stunned and Darcy couldn't hold back anymore. She put her hand on her baby bump and waddled at full speed. She took the Alpha by the hand. He tensed and there was a storm of emotion raging in his eyes that seemed to calm the slightest bit at her touch.

"Darcy…" he muttered.

"Let's just go," she said. Derek nodded toward Boyd and the two of them went to help Isaac and Erica get to their feet.

Stiles ran over to Darcy. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Look, I just need to talk to him, alright?" Darcy replied. "I know you don't understand."

Stiles let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "Got that right. Darcy, we just barely stopped him from killing Lydia. Are you crazy?"

Darcy shrugged helplessly. "I can't really explain it."

Scott noticed the conversation between the cousins and intervened. He put a hand on Stiles' shoulder. "Come on," he said.

Stiles looked wounded that Scott wasn't on his side. Finally, he threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine, go."

"Stiles…I'm sorry. We'll talk later."

"Whatever."

"Please don't be mad."

:::::::::::::

Scott started sweeping up the glass in the house. His mom was absolutely going to kill him when she saw this, but he still felt the need to clean it up as much as he could. Stiles was practically sulking. It wasn't like him and finally Scott had to say something. "Are you really that upset about Darcy and Derek."

Stiles sighed. "It's not that…I just feel helpless, Scott. I don't know what to do. Things just keep getting more and more fucked up. Darcy's caught in the middle of it. How long before my dad is too? And then when the twins are born, they'll be trapped too. And I can't do anything."

Scott could empathize, thinking of his mom and how much he didn't want her getting hurt. "Stiles, we'll get through this, alright? We'll figure it out. It's gonna be OK."

"See, it's not as reassuring when you sound like you're trying to convince yourself too."

::::::::::::

The moment they arrived at the abandoned station, Derek drifted away to his own private area. The betas exchanged confused looks. Darcy took a deep breath and looked them over. They looked so tired and so young.

"Erica, how are you feeling?"

"My fingers and toes are still numb, but I think I'll be fine," she said.

"OK, Boyd, I want you to make sure she gets home," Darcy directed. "Both of you need to eat something, shower, and get some sleep."

The two teenagers nodded and left. Darcy turned her attention to Isaac. "Are you doing alright?"

Isaac nodded, but didn't speak.

"Alright, why don't you go to sleep? Meet me in the parking lot tomorrow before school and I'll have some breakfast for you. Sound good?"

"Thanks," he murmured as he pulled the door to his decrepit subway car open.

She sighed, relieved that the betas were taken care of. She knew their Alpha was going to be the biggest challenge. She pushed aside the curtain he'd rigged to block off his little room and lingered in the entrance. "Hey, you," she said softly.

Derek was sitting on the mattress. His eyebrows scrunched up and he was massaging his temples. "Darcy, don't…"

"Don't what?"

"Don't say that everything's alright. Don't lie. I messed up."

"Yeah, you were kind of being a dick," she conceded. "That doesn't mean I want you to feel like crap."

"I just thought…" Derek let out a frustrated sigh. "I just thought I could fix everything."

"Maybe next time don't try to kill someone," Darcy suggested.

"I fucked up," Derek admitted. "That's all I ever do. It's all I've ever done. My family died because of it. Isaac, Erica, and Boyd could die because of it. I nearly killed an innocent girl today because of it."

Darcy shook her head. "Stop it right now." When he looked up at her, the bewilderment and hurt on his face was enough to break her heart but she pressed on. "You can't keep beating yourself up, Derek. It's like you expect yourself to be perfect and that's just not fair. You've made your mistakes, but you have to learn from them."

Derek held out a hand and helped Darcy lower herself onto the mattress beside him. "It's hard to do that when every move I make turns out wrong."

"You're still figuring things out," Darcy said. "Hell, all of us are."

"How are you so calm?"

"Oh, I'm not. Inside I'm screaming. I just figured one of us needs to be sane right now."

Derek pressed his lips to her cheek, taking in the scent of her hair. He snaked his arms around her. "I'm sorry."

Darcy leaned into his embrace. "Don't dwell on it. Right now, we need to look forward. The Bestiary said something about the Kanima seeking a friend. So maybe instead of trying to gank it, we should try to be friendly."

Derek cracked a smile. "Are you seriously considering baking cookies for the Kanima?"

Darcy laughed at the slightly ridiculous statement. "I might be. You don't know that it won't work."

::::::::::::::

It was well after midnight when Darcy returned home. Her uncle was working a night shift so she didn't worry about waking him up and started toward her room paying no real mind to her surroundings. Stiles just about gave her a heart attack when he said her name from the living room couch.

"Jesus, Stiles! Way to scare me half to death," she snapped playfully.

"I wanted to be sure you made it home alright," Stiles said.

"I'm fine," Darcy replied. "Are you fine though? Isaac did rough you up a little. Is anything damaged?"

"Nothing but my pride," Stiles quipped. "I'm a little sore, but I'll be alright."

Darcy hesitated and then asked, "Are we good?"

Stiles sighed. "I'm not mad, if that's what you mean."

"How are you, then?"

"Tired," Stiles answered.

"I think we both are. Let's try to get some rest. Maybe things will look better in the morning."

:::::::::::

The car was parked on a normal street. There was nothing extraordinary about it until a scaled monster with a long, whipping tail approached it. The beast seemed hesitant, scared almost. It raised its hand to the window. The person inside returned the gesture.


End file.
